Lathrup Village, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Lathrup Village
Nearly every chimney in Lathrup Village is masonry on a masonry house, so a repair has to hold up and also look right next to brick or stone that's been weathering for seventy to ninety years.
Tudor and Spanish Colonial chimneys
Lathrup Village's 1930s houses include English Tudor, English Cottage and Spanish Colonial designs. On a Tudor, the chimney is often a big feature on the front of the house, sometimes with decorative brickwork or stone mixed in near the top. That decoration has more joints and ledges where water can sit, and those are often where the mortar fails first. A Spanish Colonial house may have its chimney finished in stucco to match the walls, and cracks in the stucco let water reach the brick behind it.
These houses are close to ninety years old. On a chimney that age, we often see mortar washed out of the top courses, bricks that have lost their faces, and corners that have started to move.
A whole district of masonry
The Lathrup Village Historic District covers 680 acres, most of the city, and 994 of its buildings count as contributing to its historic character. With that much original masonry on every street, a mismatched patch stands out. When we repoint, we match the mortar color to the existing joints. When bricks have to come out, we look for replacements close in size and color, and we only talk about rebuilding a section when repair won't hold. For work that shows from the street, we check with the city and put any permit cost on the quote.
Starting prices
These are our starting prices. Your written quote has the exact number.
- Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995
- Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks: $850 plus $75 a brick
- Crown repair: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch. Crown rebuild: from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch
- Waterproofing once the masonry is sound: $795 to $2,725
If a ladder isn't safe on your roof, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249.
How it works
We look at the whole chimney, along with the crack or stain you noticed, and take photos of what we find. Then we explain what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix and give you the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd like us to look first, a chimney inspection in Lathrup Village is $49.
Questions
The chimney on the front of my Tudor has a crack running across it. Is it serious?
A crack along a mortar joint can mean the top of the chimney has started to shift, often because water got in and froze for a few winters. It's worth having looked at before it spreads. We check how far it goes and whether the brick above it is loose, then show you photos and give you a written quote.
Can you match the brick on a Lathrup Village house?
We match the mortar color and look for brick close to the original in size, color and texture. On a house where the whole outside is masonry, that matters more than usual. If we can't find a close match, we tell you before you approve anything, and sometimes salvaged brick from elsewhere on the chimney works.
Chimney repair near Lathrup Village
Chimney repair in Lathrup Village
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.