Chimney Repair · Arlington, VA
Chimney Repair in Arlington, VA
Arlington is full of brick colonials, Cape Cods, and bungalows built between the 1920s and the 1950s, and most still have their original masonry chimney. Decades of freeze and thaw is what we repair: cracked crowns, failed flashing, eroded mortar, and spalled brick.
Water stain, loose brick, or a cracked crown?
Call today and tell us what you are seeing. Water getting in around a chimney does more damage with every rain, so we look at leaks first. We do chimney masonry: crowns, flashing, repointing, and rebuilds. Sweeping and flue inspections are a separate trade, and we will tell you if you need one.
Call (703) 929-1621
What goes wrong on an older Arlington chimney
The crown at the top cracks first. Water gets into the brick below it, and every winter the freeze pushes the faces of the brick off. Flashing at the roofline lifts, or was sealed years ago with caulk that has since dried out. Mortar on the weather side erodes until the joints are soft enough to scratch out with a key.
Each of these lets water into the chimney or into the ceiling around it, and each is far cheaper to fix early than after a winter or two of leaking.
Repair, repoint, or rebuild
Most chimneys need a new crown, new flashing, and repointing rather than a rebuild. When the brick above the roofline is loose or badly spalled, we take it down to sound masonry and relay it, matching the brick and the mortar color to what is already there.
We tell you which of these you need after we have been on the roof, not from the driveway.
Historic districts and permits
Some Arlington neighborhoods are local historic districts, where exterior changes go through the county Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, and a full rebuild can need a building permit. We check your address before work starts and tell you if either applies.
Chimney Repair, step by step
Every job follows the same sequence. You are told which stage you are at and what happens next.
Inspection from the ground and the roof
A chimney has to be looked at from above to be assessed honestly. We check the crown, the flashing, the joint at the roofline, and the condition of the mortar on every face.
Trace the water path
Almost every chimney problem is water finding a way in. Before scoping a repair we work out where it is entering, because repairing the symptom leaves the leak in place.
Written scope
You get an itemized estimate that says which parts need work now and which are worth watching. Chimneys are easy to over-scope, and we would rather be specific.
Repointing, crown, and flashing
Failed joints are raked and repointed, cracked or spalled brick is replaced, the crown is repaired or recast with a proper overhang and drip edge, and flashing is reset so the roof-to-chimney joint actually sheds water.
Rebuild where repair will not hold
Where deterioration has gone too far, the affected section is taken down and rebuilt rather than patched. We tell you which one you are looking at before we start.
Weatherproofing and cleanup
Where appropriate, a breathable water repellent goes on so masonry can still dry outward, and the roof and grounds are cleared of debris.
Chimney Repair photographs
Frequently asked
There is a stain on my ceiling near the chimney. Is it the chimney?
Often, but not always. A cracked crown, failed flashing, and porous brick are the usual sources, but a missing chimney cap or a roof problem beside the chimney can look exactly the same from inside. We find the source before recommending a fix, so you are not paying to repair the wrong thing.
Do you sweep chimneys or inspect flues?
No. We repair the masonry. For a flue inspection or a cleaning, use a CSIA-certified chimney sweep; if their report calls for masonry work, we can do it.
Can you match the brick on an older house?
Usually closely. We match the size, color, and texture of the brick from salvage or current production, and we match the mortar color and the joint profile, which matters as much as the brick itself.
How quickly can you look at a leak?
Call and tell us what you are seeing. Active leaks are looked at first, because water around a chimney does more damage with every rain.
Ready to start? Schedule a free estimate.
Or call (703) 929-1621