Roof work by McCluskey Roofing
What chimney repairs cover
Broadly, chimney work falls into four areas: the brickwork and mortar of the stack, the crown or flaunching on top, the pots and anything fitted to them, and the lead that seals the stack to the roof. A stack can need attention in one area while the others are in decent order, so the aim is to identify which part has failed rather than assume the whole chimney needs rebuilding.
On Tyneside, many terraces and semis share stacks along the party wall. That means the chimney may serve two households, and work is often planned with the neighbour in mind.
Signs your chimney needs repairing
From the ground, look for missing or crumbling mortar, bricks with their faces flaking off, plants growing out of the stack, a pot that sits at an angle and lead that has lifted away from the brickwork. Inside, damp or staining on a chimney breast, particularly after heavy rain, suggests water is getting in somewhere around the stack.
Chimney stack repair
Weathered joints, spalled bricks and a stack that has started to lean are the usual reasons for stack repair. Where only the mortar has eroded, repointing restores the joints. Where individual bricks have blown, they can be cut out and replaced. A stack that is leaning or badly cracked may need taking down and rebuilding from a sound course, which is a bigger decision and one we explain fully before it is agreed.
Chimney crown and flaunching repair
The crown, often called flaunching, is the sloped mortar cap around the pots. Its job is to throw rain off the top of the stack. Frost and age crack it, and once water gets underneath it can work down through the brickwork into the house.
Small cracks can sometimes be sealed, but a crown that has broken up or come loose is normally removed and re-formed. The pots are reset at the same time so they sit firmly.
Pots, cowls and capping
Loose or cracked pots are a safety concern as well as a source of water. A disused flue can be capped to keep rain out while still allowing a little ventilation, which helps prevent damp in the old chimney breast. Pots that are still in use need to stay open in line with the appliance they serve.
Leaks and lead around the stack
Many chimney leaks have nothing to do with the brick. Stepped flashings, soakers, the front apron and the back gutter all keep water out where the stack passes through the roof. If any of these lift, split or come out of their joints, water runs straight in. Our chimney leaks page explains how to narrow down the cause, and our leadwork page covers the flashing itself.
What affects the price of a chimney repair
The height of the stack, how it can be reached safely, how many faces need work and whether the lead is being renewed all shape the quote. Access is often the largest single factor, because a stack in the middle of a terrace roof needs a different set-up from one on a bungalow gable. We do not price chimney work over the phone, because the stack needs to be seen first.
Arranging a chimney repair
Tell us what you have noticed, such as damp on a chimney breast, debris in the gutter or a pot that looks loose, and whether the stack is shared. We will discuss a safe assessment during our working hours and then provide a free quote.