Oak Park, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Oak Park
Most Oak Park chimneys went up within the same ten or fifteen years after the war, so a lot of them now need the same repairs: flashing, crowns and caps.
Low roofs and the flashing
Oak Park's master plan points out how many of the city's houses are mid-century modern designs, and many of its brick ranches have fairly low roofs too. Water moves slowly across a low roof. On the uphill side of the chimney it backs up against the flashing, and once the sealant dries out or the metal pulls away from the brick, it runs in behind. The photo shows what that looks like on the roof: flashing with roofing cement smeared over the gaps where the brick joints have opened up.
A lot of Oak Park roofs have been redone once or twice since the 1950s. When a roofer reuses the old chimney flashing or caulks over it, that joint is usually where the next leak starts.
Crowns that are sixty-plus years old
Oak Park built about two houses a day through the 1950s, and most of its chimneys date from 1946 to about 1960. Their crowns have been through more than sixty winters. If yours is a thin layer of mortar that stops flush with the brick, water runs off the edge and down the face, and the top courses lose their mortar first.
In the north end of the city, a lot of houses have had a second story or an addition put on. Where a newer roof meets an older chimney, the flashing at that joint went in decades after the brick. Check that spot when there's a stain nearby.
Prices to start from
The written quote has your exact number. These are the starting prices:
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495
- Crown sealing for a crown that is still sound: $249 to $875
- Crown repair: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown
- Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995
- A single-flue cap: $375
What happens first
We get on the roof and look at the whole chimney, along with the stain or crack that made you call. You see photos of what we found, and the quote comes in writing. When a re-seal would do the job, we say so instead of quoting new flashing. Nothing starts until you approve it. You can also start with a chimney inspection in Oak Park for $49, which is credited toward the repair.
Questions
We just put a new roof on our Oak Park ranch and the chimney still leaks. Why?
Often the roofer kept the old counterflashing, the strip set into the brick, and sealed the new shingles up to it. If that metal has pulled out of the joint or the mortar behind it has worn away, water still gets in. The crown or a missing cap can also let water down inside. We check each one and show you photos of where the water is coming in.
Can you match the brick on a 1950s chimney in Oak Park?
Usually close. Brick from the 1950s isn't made anymore, so we look for new brick near the size, color and texture of yours, and we tint the mortar to match the joints that are already there. When only a few bricks are bad, matching is easier, because the new ones sit among the old ones.
Chimney repair in Oak Park
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.