Van Buren Township, Wayne County
Chimney repair in Van Buren Township
On the colonials in northern Van Buren Township, a lot of repair calls start with a water stain on the ceiling next to the chimney. After twenty-some years, the flashing and the crown are usually where the water gets in.
What wears out first
We cover the northern part of the township, north of Belleville Lake. If you live on the lake or south of it, call before you book and we'll tell you whether we can get to you.
Most of the houses we work on up here went up in the 1990s and 2000s. Walden Woods, off Morton Taylor and Tyler, was built from 1999 to 2009, and plenty of the colonials in subdivisions like it have a brick chimney running up an outside wall, two full stories and then some. That's a lot of brick out in the rain.
Around year twenty, the first leak is usually at the flashing, the metal that seals the joint between the chimney and the roof. When the roof gets replaced, the old flashing is often reused or patched with roofing cement instead of being redone. The photo shows what that looks like: black cement smeared over the brick and into the joints above the step flashing. It holds for a while, then cracks and lets water behind it.
The other weak spot is the crown at the very top. A small crack lets water into the top courses, and each winter the frost opens it a little wider.
Starting prices
These are our starting prices. The written quote has the exact number for your chimney.
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495.
- Crown sealing, when the crown is sound and needs a coating: $249 to $875.
- Crown repair: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown.
- Waterproofing the brick: $795 to $2,725.
On a tall outside-wall chimney, a ladder isn't always safe. When we need a lift or scaffolding, it adds $1,249, and we tell you before we quote.
Water through the brick
A chimney on the outside wall can also leak through its face. Rain blown against it soaks into the brick and mortar, and the water shows up inside as a damp patch on the wall beside the fireplace. Our guide to chimney flashing leaks helps you tell that apart from a flashing leak.
How the quote works
We look at the whole chimney along with the spot that's leaking. Then we show you photos, explain what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix, and give you the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you want us to look before you decide, a chimney inspection is $49.
Questions
Our roofer patched around the chimney with tar and it still leaks. What now?
Roofing cement over flashing usually holds a season or two, then cracks and lets water in behind it. The fix is to take the patch off and redo the flashing properly, with the top edge cut into a mortar joint and sealed. We look at the crown and the brick too, since a leak near the chimney can start higher up, and we show you photos before we quote.
Do I need a permit for chimney repair in Van Buren Township?
It depends on the work. We check with the township for your job before we start, and the written quote says whether a permit is needed. When it is, the permit cost is included in the price you approve, so it doesn't show up later as a surprise.
Chimney repair near Van Buren Township
Chimney repair in Van Buren Township
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.