The short answer
Chimney repair in Brooklyn Heights usually means fixing water damage to older masonry: cracked crowns, worn mortar, spalling brick, failed flashing and deteriorated flue liners. Expert Chimney Sweep inspects the chimney first, then makes the needed repairs. The best time to schedule is before the city's heat season begins on October 1.
Most chimneys in Brooklyn Heights are older masonry: tall stacks rising from brownstones and rowhouses, and shared flues serving boilers in pre-war apartment buildings. Brick, mortar and flue tile that have weathered many wet winters eventually let water in, and once water gets in, the damage speeds up. Expert Chimney Sweep repairs chimneys across the neighborhood from our office in Clinton Hill, about 2 miles away. Our certified technicians find the cause of the problem, explain what they see in plain terms, and fix what actually needs fixing.
What Usually Goes Wrong With Brooklyn Heights Chimneys
On a brownstone or rowhouse, the chimney usually sits on a flat roof and often shares a party wall with the house next door. As a result, a leak may show up as a stain on a top-floor ceiling, peeling paint beside the fireplace, or white, chalky deposits on interior brick. The stain can appear some distance from where the water actually enters. Freeze-thaw cycles widen small cracks each winter, so a minor problem in the fall can become a larger one by spring.
Common repairs include:
- Cracked or crumbling chimney crowns that let water into the top of the stack
- Open or eroded mortar joints that need repointing
- Spalling brick, where the face of the brick flakes or pops off
- Failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof
- Missing or rusted chimney caps that let in rain, debris and animals
- Cracked, gapped or deteriorated flue tiles
- Damaged dampers and firebox masonry on wood-burning fireplaces
Inspection Comes Before Repair
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year, and a repair visit is a good time to do it. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels. Level 1 applies when nothing about the system has changed. Level 2 applies when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch in fuel, or when the home is sold. Level 3 is used when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
For repairs, the inspection matters because the damage you can see from the roof is not always the whole story. We check the crown, cap, flashing and exterior brick, and we look at the flue from inside. Then we describe what we found and recommend repairs in order of priority, so you know what needs attention now and what can wait.
We also match the repair method to the masonry. Older brick generally needs a compatible mortar, because mortar that is harder than the surrounding brick can cause the brick itself to crack and spall.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Flue Liners
Some pre-war apartment buildings and brownstones in the neighborhood are converting their boilers from oil to gas. When a New York City building makes this conversion, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. A new liner is often needed, because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue.
We inspect the existing flue and tell you whether it can be used as it is. If it can't, we install a properly sized liner. If you are working with a plumber or heating contractor on the conversion, we can coordinate so the chimney work fits their schedule.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Planning Repairs Around the Heat Season
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. During that time, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. For a building whose boiler vents through a masonry chimney, a flue problem in January is a serious matter. It is better to have the chimney inspected and repaired in late spring or summer, when the boiler can be shut down for the work without leaving tenants cold.
The same reasoning applies to homeowners with wood-burning fireplaces. If you fix a crown, cap or damper before fall, the fireplace is ready when you want to use it. Masonry work also cures better in mild weather than in a hard freeze.
Serving Brooklyn Heights and Nearby Neighborhoods
Our Clinton Hill office is about 2 miles from Brooklyn Heights, so we are close by for inspections, repairs and follow-up visits. We also work in Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene and Carroll Gardens.
You might own a single-family brownstone or a rowhouse with a rental unit, or you might manage a pre-war co-op. In any case, tell us what you are seeing, whether it's a leak, loose brick, a smoky fireplace or a planned conversion. We will schedule a visit to take a look.
More services in Brooklyn Heights
- Chimney Sweep in Brooklyn Heights
- Chimney Inspection in Brooklyn Heights
- Air Duct Cleaning in Brooklyn Heights
- Chimney Liner Installation in Brooklyn Heights
