Long Island chimneys age hard. Salt air, freeze-thaw cycles, decades of wood smoke, and skipped maintenance all take a toll. By year 40 or 50, most masonry chimneys need at least one major repair. The question is which one — and whether you're being sold something you don't actually need.
We diagnose before we quote. Camera scan, mortar probe, flashing test. You see exactly what's failing before you pay for a fix.
The chimney repairs we handle most often
- Crown repair and replacement. Cracked, spalled, or missing crowns let water into the masonry. We rebuild with 3-inch concrete crowns and elastomeric coating.
- Damper replacement. Rusted, stuck, or missing dampers kill fireplace efficiency. We replace with lock-top or throat dampers depending on your application.
- Flashing repair. The metal between the chimney and the roof. Leaks here cause attic damage and rot. We reflash with lead-lined counter-flashing.
- Smoke chamber parge. The sloped area above the firebox. Rough or open joints here cause poor draft and fire hazards. We smooth-parge to code.
- Firebox rebuild. Cracked firebrick or deteriorated refractory mortar. Full rebuild with high-temp mortar and new firebrick.
- Crown coat sealing. Elastomeric flexible sealant on an intact crown to extend life and stop small cracks from expanding.
Our process
- Inspection first. No repair is quoted without a proper diagnosis. We camera-scan, probe, and document.
- Written scope. You get a line-item estimate: labor, materials, warranty, timeline. No "starting from" pricing.
- Proper prep. Drop cloths, tarps, protected landscaping. Tall chimneys get a ladder jack or scaffold when needed.
- Quality materials. Type-N mortar for structural joints, Type-S for caps and crowns. ChimneySaver or Saver Systems products for waterproofing.
- Warranty. Most repairs carry a 3 to 10 year workmanship warranty. Liners carry the 25-year manufacturer warranty.
If another company told you any of these, get a second opinion. We see these scare tactics often:
- "The whole chimney has to come down" — almost never true for localized spalling
- "You need a whole new liner" without showing you camera footage — no
- Unwilling to put warranty terms in writing — avoid
- Cash-only, no invoice, no license info — illegal in NY for work over $200
- Quoted a price before inspecting the chimney — impossible to do accurately
