r/Chimneyrepair

We just paid top dollar to have brand new piping installed on our wood stove.

I am NOT an expert, but I’m not understanding what the chimney repair company we just hired did with this cement. Is this actually sealing anything?

The manual for the stove says it should only have a 1/4” bead. And there’s a fairly big gap now between the stove and pipe.

Would really appreciate any pros telling me if I’m crazy or not. And if I’m not, what do I say to the company?

Does this look like quality/acceptable work?

I know there’s a lot to read through but can someone tell me if what is being said is legitimate or not? We spent a lot of money to fix our chimney and fireplace and make it functional and after only a handful of burns we noticed a smoke smell in our upstairs. We had them come out to inspect it (after several failed communication attempts) and they’re saying there is creosote build up as if we burned 2-3 cords of wood and loose joints. I even had one of the guys test the wood we use with my tester to prove the wood was dried enough and that we weren’t burning wet wood. I’ve included copies of the work we paid to have done and then texts of what the owner of the company is saying. They think it’s a draft issue but my question is how did a draft issue that severe go unnoticed until we burned a few times and how did this much damage happen? When they attempted to apply the heat shield it took them many attempts. I don’t have photographic proof of what the work looked like when they were finished. We feel very frustrated and like we are out a lot of money. He is saying because we didn’t do a yearly inspection on time essentially one year exact to the date it’s not really his problem. We contacted him 3 months from the one year mark. We rarely used the fireplace maybe a handful of times because it was more for an aesthetic and not a functional use. It pulls heat out of the rooms and makes it colder so we only use it for a cozy night in here or there. But apparently this much damage and creosote has happened after only a few burns and he’s making it sound like we didn’t draft the fire properly or some other reason it’s our fault. If someone with knowledge could let me know if this is all legit or not I’d appreciate it. How after spending $13,000 did $5,000 worth of damage happen after a handful of fires? Also, when they were doing the work they hit our house with their truck and damaged the roof and gutters which they fixed. We could have made a big deal out of it but didn’t. Also, when I tried scheduling the inspection after we smelled the smoke he ignored my attempts for almost 3 weeks. He then scheduled an appointment for a Wednesday and when that day came and went and we sent a text questioning his integrity he said he was on a job with no service. We felt like he was evading us. So all of this together just feels like our level of trust is waning. He’s basically comparing this to mechanic work and saying it’s not his problem and making us out to be Karen’s. Please let me know if what he is saying is legit or not.

We had our chimney crown replaced and I was looking at it and noticed everything around our chimney caps is nice and smooth except this corner. Just curious if this will let water in. We had this crown redone because we had a roof leak and was told the crown was the cause of it before.

TIA!

Title pretty much explains it all. I am scheduled to get my roof replaced and the company came out to do some sealing and pointing work on the chimney ahead of time. After doing that they are saying it needs to be torn down and rebuilt due to movement.

In the video it’s clearly moving so they’re not lying. Where my skepticism comes in is I spoke with the mason they recommended and he mentioned these things come up all the time and his fees can just be financed by the roofing company. Obviously could be above board but with an arrangement that convenient I did want to get opinions on if this is really that severe.

I dont know much about masonry. Wondering If I could just get it repointed or does it need rebuild. Hard to find a qualified masonry in Cape Breton. Also wondering how much roughly it would cost.

Posted earlier but deleted because I couldn't figure out how to add new photos in the sun.

Century house. Chimney (gas furnace and hot water tank out take) looks like it's due for a repointing plus a new cap. We've had a TON of snow this winter and a TON of rain this spring. Never seen water in our basement before in over 10 years but last photo shows water seeping around the base and discoloration. Is it possible water is getting into the chimney? Thoughts on what to do and estimated cost? Getting roof redone this summer too and tight on funds. Delay roof to next year to take care of chimney first?

Is it ok to fill the gap with concrete polyurethane sealant? Thanks.

Hey All,

Does this estimate seem to be on the high end or is it just sticker shock?

This is a follow-up to my last post asking if I was scammed after chimney repairs were done. The last thread wouldn’t let me add photos in the comments nor edit the post with new photos. Here are the requested photos of my fireplace and the flue the best I could get.

We just paid over 20k for chimney work in our house (multiple chimneys).

Should a brand new pipe look this dinged up? And does the sealant at the bottom look normal?

I don’t want to be wrong and complain for no reason… but I sent these to the company a day after the install asking if this was normal and they haven’t responded.

Had a chimney professional out to quote some exterior masonry work, and he noticed some deterioration in the oil boiler flue. We also found some clay chips in the basement cleanout.

He's recommended installing a stainless steel liner. I'm going to get some more opinions, but posting here as well - does the spalling and gap between tiles mean this needs a new liner, or is he upselling me?

Looking for advice before I spend ~$1,000 on a custom outside-mount multi-flue chimney cap (likely Rockford) for my 1961 house in Charleston, SC

My clay flue tile extends about 6" above the brick and about 3" above the crown. I want the custom cap mainly for rain, animal protection, and serious wind resistance (ideally something that can survive Cat 3 hurricane gusts).

My concern: I may convert one flue to a gas fireplace later and add a stainless liner.

Main question:
If I do that later, can the gas liner’s termination cap sit inside the big multi-flue cage under the lid, as long as there’s enough clearance above the terracotta tile? If so, how much vertical clearance should I order now to future-proof it—6" or 8" above the flue lip (so roughly a 12–14" tall cage)?

Do installers commonly leave the large outside cap in place and terminate the gas liner inside it, or do they usually remove/replace the whole top assembly when converting to gas?

Trying to decide whether buying the custom cap now is smart planning or a waste of money if a future gas insert install means tearing it all off anyway.

Nothing will vent through this chimney (high efficiency furnace and water heater that will vent out side of house now). Major crack in chimney down to roof line. Can I just remove the existing brick and have it capped at the roof line? Contractor A suggests remove and cap, Contractor B recommends rebuild that extends down past the roof line.

We had a fire during this past winter and had a strong smell of smoke on the second floor room that’s directly above the fireplace. Took a look inside and realized there are some holes and gaps in the chimney bricks. Looking for some advice & products to use. Any useful website/videos would be great. Thanks

Liquid is coming down on the outside of my chimney in my basement. Been in our house for almost a year now. Never had this happen before. Chimney was not lined and some moisture was getting through in the attic that caused some ceiling issues over the winter. We got the chimney lined to stop the moisture from the inside.

We’ve recently had a lot of rain (but also saw a similar amount last spring with no issues) and noticed that a liquid is coming down one side of the chimney. Any ideas what would cause this? Is there a chance something was done wrong when the chimney liner was put in? Appreciate and ideas or tips.

We have water coming in where the first floor ceiling meets the chimney. This started several years ago. We had a new roof, flashing, chimney cap, tuck pointing, water proof spray done about 8 years ago. The leak is starting again. I am frustrated that several companies have been unable to find the leak. The latest person cut into the drywall and the water is coming in where the black tape is cover the drywall. He thought it was bad caulk and recaulked several areas of flashing. That has not solved it. The red arrow in the chimney photo is about where the leak is. Thoughts???

I have had issues with water coming in around my center roof chimney since I moved in 5 years ago (house is 90 years old). Only happens during heavy, driving rain.

I was first told “has to be the flashing“ and did the whole roof (with new flashing obviously). Did not fix it.

I was then told the chimney was in real bad shape/water logged. Rather than doing a bunch of repointing and repairs - I had it rebuilt roofline up (new crown, cap etc.). Did not fix it.

I’ve taken to climbing into the attic during heavy rain and watching. What it looks like is water emerging FROM the original old brick below roofline repairs and NOT water running down the brick from behind the flashing (although it’s tight up there and hard to get a great look). Pic below.

So my question is 1.) is that a possibility? That the new brick becomes saturated and water runs down to the old nasty brick, finding its way out?

And 2.) what to do? I think I’m down to two options: stucco which I’m really hesitant to do (live in MA, doesn’t address structural problems) or just tear it down and roof over it.

I have a hard time believing it’s the flashing as this problem has transcended 3 different sets (original, roofers and masons). But the mason has been willing to help and I have a 3 year warranty- so if you guys say it isn’t the brick, I will go back to them.

A genuine thank you. I need to get this figured out.

Edit: here are some exterior photos

https://imgur.com/a/RBubhOH