Chimney repair in Northville

Township chimneys from the 1970s and 1980s

Highland Lakes, between Seven and Eight Mile east of Novi Road, was built from 1971 to 1990. Lakes of Northville, between Six and Seven Mile near Haggerty, went up from 1979 to 1986. Plenty of houses from those years have a factory-built fireplace in a framed chase, usually with a galvanized steel cover on top. Where the original cover is still on, it's now more than thirty-five years old. Galvanized steel holds up until the zinc wears off, then it rusts. A flat cover also sags and holds snowmelt around the flue pipe.

We replace it with a stainless cover made to the size of your chase, with cross breaks so water runs off and a drip edge on the skirt. If the wood framing on top of the chase has gone soft, we show you before the new cover goes on.

Brick chimneys near downtown

The houses in the Northville Historic District, roughly between Cady, Center, Randolph and Rogers, mostly date from 1860 to 1880. On chimneys that old, the work is usually the crown, the brick above the roof and the flashing. Older brick is softer than modern brick, so the mortar we use for repointing has to be softer than the brick around it. When a crown has to be rebuilt, we form it so it overhangs the brick with a drip edge, and water drops off instead of running down the face of an old chimney.

Starting prices

The written quote gives you the exact number. These are the usual starting points in Northville:

• 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.
• Tuckpointing $595 to $4,995.
• Flashing repair or replacement $595 to $3,495.

On a tall chimney or a steep roof where a ladder isn't safe, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249. We tell you before we quote.

How it works

We look at the whole chimney first, then send you photos and a written quote. Nothing starts until you say yes. If you'd rather have someone look before you decide anything, a chimney inspection in Northville is $49.