Sylvan Lake, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake has brick chimneys that go back to the 1920s, and on chimneys that old the repairs tend to come in the same order: the crown, then the mortar near the top, then the flashing.
Most of Sylvan Lake, and where it wears
We cover most of Sylvan Lake. If your house is at the east edge near Telegraph and the Pontiac line, call before you book.
Wood Lawn was recorded as a subdivision in April 1920, and most of its houses went up in the 1930s. Those brick chimneys are close to a hundred years old. On them, the crown is usually the first thing to go. It cracks, water gets into the crack and freezes, and the top courses of brick lose mortar a little more each winter. From the street you'll see gaps near the top, or bricks darker than the rest.
Houses on the shore deal with more wind. Sylvan Lake and Otter Lake together make about 530 acres of open water, and a chimney on the lake side of Lakeview Avenue takes weather straight off it. The side facing the water usually shows wear first.
Starting prices
Your written quote gives the exact number. Most Sylvan Lake repairs start here:
- Crown sealing for a crown that is still solid: $249 to $875.
- Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch, or a full rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995, depending on how much mortar needs replacing.
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495.
- A new single-flue cap is $375.
On a tall chimney or a steep roof where a ladder isn't safe, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249. You'll know before we quote.
Old mortar, new mortar
Mortar from the 1930s is often softer than the brick around it, and it weathers to a color you won't find in a new bag. Before we repoint a Wood Lawn chimney, we look at what's in the joints now and mix to match it as close as we can. Replacement brick gets picked for size and shade so the repair doesn't jump out.
How the quote works
We look at the whole chimney along with the spot you noticed. You get photos, a plain read on what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix, and the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it. To have us look first, book a chimney inspection in Sylvan Lake for $49.
Questions
There's a rust stain running across my crown. What does that mean?
Usually it comes from a cap, a damper plate or a metal vent that has been rusting and letting water carry the rust across the crown. The stain itself does no harm. What matters is whether the crown under it has cracked and whether the metal is still doing its job. We check both and show you photos before we suggest anything.
Can a 1930s chimney be repaired, or does it have to be rebuilt?
Most can be repaired. A cracked crown, worn mortar near the top or a handful of broken bricks don't mean the whole chimney has to come down. If the top few feet have gone loose, rebuilding that section is often the repair that lasts. We'll tell you which one yours needs and why.
Chimney repair in Sylvan Lake
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.