Chimney Repair in Worth, IL

Paul Lally's Masonry Inc. provides chimney repair in Worth, IL — rebuilding cracked crowns, resetting failed flashing, repointing or rebuilding spalled top courses, and full chimney rebuilds when the damage runs deep. We have repaired chimneys across Worth and the southwest suburbs since 1988. Call (708) 448-8866 for a free on-site estimate.

Most homes in Worth are post-war brick ranches, Cape Cods and bungalows. They are solid houses, and the walls usually hold up well. The chimney is a different story. On a low, simple roof, a short brick stack stands almost entirely above the roofline, exposed on every side. That means nearly the whole visible chimney sits in the zone that takes the worst of Chicago weather.

On a Worth ranch or Cape Cod, the chimney is usually the most weather-exposed masonry on the house. The crown, the flashing and the top courses fail long before the walls — which is why most chimney repair here starts at the top and works down.

What chimney repair in Worth usually involves

Chimney repair is the targeted restoration of the parts that keep water out of the stack: the crown (the concrete cap on top of the brick), the flashing (the metal where the chimney meets the roof), the mortar joints and the brick itself. When too much of the stack has failed, repair becomes a partial or full rebuild.

On Worth's housing stock we most often see:

• Thin, cracked crowns — many original crowns were a thin wash of mortar rather than a properly formed, sloped crown with a drip edge.
• Spalled and loose top courses — brick faces popping off from years of freeze-thaw.
• Failed flashing at the low roof slope, often patched with tar more than once.
• Unused chimneys — stacks that stopped serving the furnace years ago but are still standing, still taking weather, and no longer maintained.

Signs your chimney needs repair

• Cracks or crumbling in the crown on top of the chimney.
• Rust, lifted edges or tar patches on the flashing.
• Brick flaking, popping or missing near the top of the stack.
• White staining (efflorescence) on the chimney brick.
• Ceiling or attic stains near the chimney, or water in the firebox.
• A lean — even a slight one is a sign the masonry has lost strength.
• Mortar on the roof below the chimney.

The risk of waiting

Every winter, water that gets into a cracked crown or open joint freezes, expands and pushes the masonry apart a little more. A crown that could have been rebuilt one fall can mean, two winters later, loose brick, saturated mortar and a stack that has to come down. A leaking chimney also rots roof sheathing and framing around it — damage that costs more than the masonry repair itself.

Our chimney repair process in Worth

1. Inspect from crown to roof line and check the attic and interior for water signs.
2. Tell you plainly: repair or rebuild — and why.
3. Rebuild the crown properly sloped, with an overhang and drip edge so water runs off the brick.
4. Repoint or rebuild the top courses with brick matched for color and size.
5. Replace or reset the flashing with step and counter-flashing set into the masonry joints.
6. Add a cap to keep rain and animals out of the flue, and waterproof the stack where it helps.

If your chimney is no longer used, we lay out the options side by side: repair it and keep it, cap it and maintain it, or take it down below the roofline so it no longer needs upkeep.

Keep it, cap it or take it down: the unused chimney in Worth

Many Worth homes replaced their original furnace years ago, and the new equipment vents out the side wall or through a liner. The brick stack on the roof stays, though, and it keeps taking weather with nobody watching it. Before you spend money repairing a chimney you no longer use, it is worth weighing the three honest options.

| Option | When it makes sense | What it involves | |---|---|---| | Repair and keep | You use a fireplace, or the chimney still vents an appliance | Crown, flashing and top-course repair, cap, and periodic inspection | | Cap and maintain | The flue is unused, but the stack is sound and you like how it looks | A sealed cap and crown, flashing in good order, and a check every few years | | Take down below the roofline | The flue is unused and the stack above the roof is badly deteriorated | Remove the brick to below the roof deck, then the roof is patched — no more chimney to maintain |

Before any chimney is capped or taken down, confirm in writing that no furnace, boiler or water heater still vents into it. That is a question for your heating contractor, and we will not seal a flue until it is answered.

What we look for on the roof

On a Worth chimney we check four things: whether the crown is a real crown or a thin mortar wash, whether the flashing is cut into the joints or only sealed on the surface, how many courses below the crown have spalled or loosened, and whether the stack is still plumb. Those four answers decide almost every repair-or-rebuild call, and we show you what we found before you decide anything.

Materials we use

• A reinforced, sloped crown with a drip edge.
• Step and counter-flashing set into the mortar joints, not just surface-sealed.
• Type N or Type S mortar, chosen for the job — Type N for most repointing, Type S on exposed rebuilt courses.
• Matched replacement brick.
• A quality chimney cap, and a breathable water repellent where it makes sense.

What drives the cost of chimney repair

We price from what we see on your roof, never from a phone call. The main factors:

• Crown and flashing repair versus a partial or full rebuild
• How many courses of brick need replacing, and how hard the brick is to match
• Roof pitch, height and access
• Whether a new cap or waterproofing is added
• Whether an unused chimney is being repaired, capped or taken down

Every estimate is free and in writing before work starts.

Chimney repair in Worth and nearby

Worth sits in southwest Cook County, with open stretches along the Cal-Sag Channel and nearby forest preserves, and a lot of its homes take wind-driven rain with little shelter. Short, exposed chimneys on low roofs feel that first. We also repair chimneys in neighbouring Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills — see our pages on chimney repair in Chicago Ridge and tuckpointing in Worth.

Why Worth homeowners call Paul Lally's Masonry Inc.

Paul Lally's Masonry Inc. is a family-owned, insured masonry contractor serving Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs since 1988 — tuckpointing, brick repair and replacement, chimney repair and rebuilds, lintel replacement, masonry restoration, and waterproofing for residential and commercial properties. Built on Craftsmanship. Backed by Experience. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.

When we tell you a chimney needs a rebuild — or that a repair will do — you are getting a straight answer. Our name is on every job.

Related services: chimney repair and rebuilds, tuckpointing and repointing, brick replacement and masonry waterproofing.

Request your free on-site estimate or call (708) 448-8866.