Orchard Lake, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Orchard Lake
A lot of Orchard Lake chimneys are fieldstone, and many stand on the lake side of the house in the full wind off the water. Both change how a repair is done and what it costs.
Weather off the water
About 40 percent of Orchard Lake Village is water, and Orchard Lake alone covers close to 800 acres. A chimney on the lake side of a house takes wind and driven rain across that open water with nothing to slow it down. The crown and the top joints get the worst of it. On a house set back on a wooded lot, it's the trees instead: leaves pile up against the chimney, and the north side stays damp and grows moss.
Fieldstone tops
The photo shows a common one. The concrete crown on top of a fieldstone chimney has cracked straight through to the edge, and water now runs into the stone below. Fieldstone is rounded and uneven, so the joints are wide and deep, and a crack in the crown lets water into them. Each freeze pushes the mortar out a little more.
When the crown is still solid, sealing the cracks buys time. When it's cracked through, we break it out and pour a new one that sits past the face of the stone. Loose stones near the top get reset, and we repoint with mortar matched to the color and width of the joints already there. Some stone chimneys have a stainless cover on top instead of a concrete crown, and those get measured and made to fit.
Starting prices
These are the prices we start from. Your written quote has the exact number.
- Crown sealing: $249 to $875. Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch, or a rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch
- Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495
- Stainless chase cover, one hole: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch
- Lift or scaffolding when a ladder isn't safe: $1,249 more
How quoting works
We look at the whole chimney first, from the flashing to the top. You get photos of what we found and a written quote, with the smaller repair listed when a smaller one will hold. We check with the city for your job and put any permit cost on the quote. Nothing starts until you approve it. To start with a look, book a chimney inspection in Orchard Lake for $49, credited toward the work.
Questions
The crown on our fieldstone chimney has cracked. Can it be patched?
If the slab is still solid and the cracks are fine, we clean them out, fill them and seal the top, which costs $249 to $875. If a crack runs through to the edge, or pieces are loose, the crown needs a repair or a rebuild. A rebuilt crown runs out past the stone with a drip edge, so water falls clear instead of soaking the joints below.
Our chimney is on the lake side of a walkout. Will it need scaffolding?
Not always. A walkout chimney can be a full story taller on the lake side, and if a ladder and roof brackets can't safely reach the work, we use a lift or scaffolding, which adds $1,249. We tell you whether yours needs it before we quote.
Chimney repair near Orchard Lake
Chimney repair in Orchard Lake
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.