Plymouth, Wayne County
Chimney repair in Plymouth
On Plymouth's older frame houses, the chimney is often the only brick on the house, and it has been taking the weather alone for a hundred years or more. In the township's 1950s and 1960s subdivisions, the crowns are at the age where they give out.
Lake Pointe and the township ranches
Lake Pointe, with about 800 houses built from 1957 to 1966, is one of the biggest subdivisions in Plymouth Township. Those houses usually have one brick chimney carrying two flues, one for the fireplace and one for the furnace or water heater. At sixty-some years, the crown on top has been through more freeze and thaw than it was built for. It cracks, and the water that gets through starts working on the top courses of brick.
The other common repair on those chimneys is flashing. Houses that age have usually been re-roofed more than once, and the flashing doesn't always get done right when the shingles do. Rusted base flashing, like the chimney in the photo, lets water down the face of the brick and into the attic. Our guide to chimney flashing leaks shows what to look for from inside the house.
Brick chimneys on frame houses
In the city, most of the old houses north of downtown are wood frame, and only a handful were built of brick. That leaves the chimney as the one piece of old masonry on the house. On a house from the 1800s, the brick is often softer than anything made today. When we repoint it, we use a mortar softer than the brick and match its color to the joints that are there, so the repair doesn't show from the sidewalk. Where the chimney runs up an outside wall, we also check the joint where the brick meets the siding, since water that gets behind the siding there can show up inside.
Starting prices
Your written quote gives the exact number. Here's where the usual Plymouth repairs start:
- Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch. Crown rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Flashing repair or replacement $595 to $3,495.
- Tuckpointing $595 to $4,995.
- Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks: $850 plus $75 a brick.
We check with the city or township about permits for your job and put any permit cost on the quote.
How it works
We look at the whole chimney first, then send photos and a written quote. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd rather have us look before you decide, a chimney inspection in Plymouth is $49.
Questions
Our Lake Pointe chimney has two flues. Does that change the repair?
It changes the crown more than anything. A crown with two flues coming through it has two joints where water can get in around the tiles, and the crown is bigger, so it costs a little more by the square inch. We check both flue tiles and the joint around each one, and quote the crown and any brick work separately so you can see where the money goes.
The flashing on our Plymouth chimney is rusty. Can it be repaired, or does it need replacing?
If the metal is still solid and the problem is the seal along the brick, a re-seal and minor repair starts at $595. If it has rusted through or was installed wrong, it needs new flashing, up to $3,495 on a large chimney. We look at it up close and tell you which one yours needs before you get a price.
Chimney repair near Plymouth
Chimney repair in Plymouth
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.