The short answer
ClearStack Chimney Service repairs chimneys in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, including brick and mortar, crowns, flashing, caps and liners for rowhouses, brownstones and pre-war buildings. Our certified technicians inspect first, explain what's wrong, and recommend only the repair the damage calls for.
Sunset Park's rowhouses, brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings put a lot of years and weather on their chimneys. Brick and mortar above a roofline take wind, rain and freeze-thaw cycles every season. Damage often starts small: a cracked crown, a loose cap, a water stain on a ceiling next to the chimney. ClearStack Chimney Service repairs chimneys throughout Sunset Park, in ZIP codes 11220 and 11232, from our office in Dyker Heights about 2 miles south. Our certified technicians find what's actually wrong, explain it plainly, and fix it before a small problem turns into a rebuild.
What Goes Wrong With Chimneys in Sunset Park
Most chimneys in the neighborhood are masonry, and many vent heating systems rather than fireplaces. On attached rowhouses, a chimney often sits close to a shared wall or a neighbor's roof, so a leak or loose brick can affect more than one home. On larger pre-war buildings, a single tall flue may vent a boiler that runs hard all winter.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Spalling or crumbling brick, where water soaks into the face of the brick and freezing breaks it apart
- Cracked or missing mortar joints that let water into the chimney structure
- A cracked or eroded crown, the cement top that sheds water away from the flue
- Failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof, a common source of leaks on flat rowhouse roofs
- Missing or rusted chimney caps that let in rain, debris and animals
- Cracked clay flue tiles or a deteriorated liner
- Leaning or loose chimney tops above the roofline
Chimney Repairs We Handle
We match the repair to the damage, not the other way around. If repointing a few courses of brick solves the problem, we won't recommend rebuilding the whole stack. If the damage goes deeper than what you can see, we'll show you why.
- Repointing: removing failed mortar and replacing it with mortar suited to older brick
- Brick replacement and partial or full rebuilds of chimney tops
- Crown repair or replacement
- Flashing repair and replacement
- Chimney cap installation
- Flue tile repair and chimney liner installation
- Waterproofing sound masonry after repairs are complete
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many Sunset Park homes and apartment buildings have switched, or plan to switch, from oil heat to gas. When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, 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.
If you're planning a conversion, bring us in early. We can inspect the flue, tell you whether a liner is needed, and coordinate timing with your heating contractor so the chimney doesn't hold up the job. If you've already converted and notice crumbling mortar near the base of the chimney or tile debris at the cleanout, the flue may already be affected.
Time for your annual chimney check?
When to Schedule Chimney Repairs
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, and during that time building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. For owners of multi-family buildings, a chimney problem that takes the boiler offline in January is more than an inconvenience. Late spring and summer are the easiest times to schedule masonry and liner work, and mortar cures well in mild weather.
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing has changed. A Level 2 inspection applies when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold. A Level 3 inspection is used when a hidden hazard has to be reached by opening part of the chimney or building. A yearly inspection is often how repair needs get caught while they're still small.
What to Expect From a Repair Visit
We start by inspecting the chimney from the roof and, where it's accessible, from inside the flue with a camera. You'll get a plain explanation of what we found, along with photos, and a written description of the recommended repair before any work begins.
On attached homes, we work carefully around shared rooflines and neighboring property, and we clean up when the job is done. Sunset Park is a short trip from our Dyker Heights office, and we also serve nearby Borough Park, Kensington, Bay Ridge and Ditmas Park.
More services in Sunset Park
- Chimney Sweep in Sunset Park
- Chimney Inspection in Sunset Park
- Air Duct Cleaning in Sunset Park
- Chimney Liner Installation in Sunset Park
