Farmington Hills, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills has two kinds of chimney problems, and the age of the house usually tells you which one you have: worn masonry on the older brick chimneys, rusted metal on the newer framed chases.
Brick chimneys in the older subdivisions
Kendallwood, one of the city's largest subdivisions with more than 800 houses, was built in the 1950s and 1960s: colonials first, then a mix of colonials, ranches and tri-levels. Most houses from that period have a brick chimney, often on an outside wall. After sixty-plus winters, the crown is usually cracked and the mortar in the top few courses has started to wash out.
On a tri-level, the chimney often passes a lower roof on its way up, so there are two sets of flashing to keep sealed. When one of them leaks, the water can show up a floor away from where it got in. Our guide to chimney flashing leaks explains how to narrow it down.
Framed chases on newer houses
From the late 1970s on, more Farmington Hills houses were built with a factory-built fireplace inside a wooden chase covered in siding. The metal chase cover on top was usually galvanized steel. Once the coating wears through, the cover rusts, sags in the middle and holds water around the flue pipe. Water that gets past it soaks the wood framing on top of the chase.
Starting prices
These are our starting prices, and your written quote has the exact figure.
- Stainless chase cover, one hole: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch
- Rotted wood frame under a chase cover: $895 to $2,349
- Single-flue cap: $375. Cap repair and re-seating: $195
- Crown repair: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495
When a ladder isn't safe on a tall two-story chase, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249.
How it works
We look at the whole chimney, along with the stain or rust spot you called about. For a chase, we measure all four sides and corner to corner, since a lot of chases are framed a little out of square. You get photos, an explanation of what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix, and a written price. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you want an expert opinion first, a chimney inspection in Farmington Hills is $49.
Questions
There are rust streaks running down the siding under my chimney. What's going on?
That's almost always the chase cover. Galvanized covers rust once the zinc coating wears off, and the rust washes down the siding every time it rains. By the time you see streaks, water is often pooling on the cover and may be getting into the chase. We replace it with a stainless cover measured to fit, from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch.
Can you replace the chase cover without touching the siding?
In most cases, yes. The new cover's skirt folds down over the top edge of the existing siding. If the wood framing under the old cover has rotted, that needs repair first, and we show you the frame before any extra work is done. Siding damaged by years of leaking is something we point out, and you decide who handles it.
Chimney repair near Farmington Hills
Chimney repair in Farmington Hills
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.