Salem Township, Washtenaw County
Chimney repair in Salem Township
On a Salem Township country lot, the chimney is often the tallest thing on the house, and on open ground it takes wind and rain from every direction. The top few feet wear out first.
Chimneys from the building boom
Building in Salem was heaviest in the late 1980s and the mid-1990s, when old farms were split into home sites. The ranches, Cape Cods and colonials from those years are now thirty to forty years old. On a brick chimney that age, the crown cracks first. Water gets into the crack, freezes, and opens it a bit more every winter. Then the mortar under it starts to wash out and the top bricks flake or come loose.
The chimney in the photo is further along. The corner bricks near the top have pushed out, white streaks run down from the joints, and long cracks run sideways through the mortar lower down. That's water getting in and freezing over many winters. The fix is to take down and relay the courses that have moved, repoint the cracked joints and look hard at what's on top letting the water in.
Old chimneys near the tracks
The hamlet grew up along Six Mile Road after the Detroit and Howell Railroad came through in 1873, and the Salem General Store there dates from 1876. By now most chimneys that old have had their tops patched or relaid by someone. Often what's left is a mix of old soft brick and newer hard brick, which wear at different rates. We match the mortar to what's there and use a softer mix around old brick so the brick isn't the part that breaks.
Starting prices
Your written quote gives the exact number. These are the usual starting points:
- Crown rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks: $850 plus $75 a brick.
- Tuckpointing $595 to $4,995.
- Waterproofing $795 to $2,725, after repairs, for brick that's sound but takes on water.
- Flashing repair or replacement $595 to $3,495.
How it works
We look at the whole chimney, along with the spot you noticed. You get photos and a written quote, and nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd like us to look before deciding anything, a chimney inspection in Salem Township is $49.
Questions
Our Salem Township house is from the mid-1990s. What's likely wrong with the chimney?
At around thirty years, the crown on a brick chimney is usually the first thing to go, followed by the mortar in the top few courses. If yours is a framed chase, the metal cover on top is the usual suspect. We look at the whole chimney and send you photos of what we find before we quote anything.
Our house near the old hamlet has a chimney that's been patched over the years. Is it worth repairing?
Often it is. On an old chimney the damage is usually in the part above the roof, and that part can be taken down and relaid without touching the rest. We look at the whole chimney, show you photos of what's sound and what isn't, and tell you how much of it actually needs work before we put a price on it.
Chimney repair near Salem Township
Chimney repair in Salem Township
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.