Chimneys Repaired in Stoke on Trent Staffordshire
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Brick erosion and flaking or cracking render on your stack can cause a leaking chimney that needs a repair. If you suspect that you have water leaking in and causing dampness in the roof space, or affecting an upstairs bedroom then you can CLICK to call Roofers Stoke-on-Trent on 360412 to get it repaired quickly and cheaply.
Chimney Installations and Rebuilding
If you have a new build home and want to have an open wood burning fireplace or solid fuel Aga then you will need a chimneystack built to ventilate the smoke or fumes from the appliance. Building a new brick hearth is quite a common job for us as we have a qualified bricklayer as part of our small team who is great at creating beautiful fireplaces that suit a modern or traditional style.
Pictured is a traditional style heating vent to the 3 car garage of this property including decorative shaping to the lead flashing which helps to keep the seal between the stack and the roof tiles waterproof. For lead work around a chimneystack or any associated roofing services just call us today.
How do I know I need Chimney Repair Services?
1)Brown or yellow stains or condensation on the paint or wallpaper of the chimney-breast can be things to look for. Also damp at the base of a leaking breast, light grey or black mould on the skirting boards around the hearth or a cold patch on the chimney-breast or either side it in a bedroom, all mean that you could have a leak in your chimney-stack that needs repairing.
2)If you have been up in the loft space to have a look yourself then you might see what looks like white fur on the bricks of the actual stack. These are mineral salts called “efflorescence” and are an indicator of moisture moving through the bricks and condensing on the surface carrying the white salt “furring” with it.
3)The chimney flue pipe is broken somewhere or has a crack that causes moist, warm air from the heating system settling on the bricks or mortar and penetrating them. If this is left unattended, it may cause the brickwork to become brittle and flaky and could lead to carbon monoxide fumes from your heating system leaking into the loft space through any cracks or gaps. As this gas is 3% lighter than air it can spread quite easily throughout your home which can be deadly. Call a heating expert quickly to check any appliance. If you want to DIY your repair then we advise against it unless you have a head for heights and harnesses and scaffolding available, as it’s the most dangerous work to do on a roof.
Call a Roofing Services Professional today and get us to quote you for a chimney repair anywhere in the Stoke on Trent and North Staffordshire area on 01782 360412
4)Interior walls or the chimney breast itself could have heat spots or on the outside soot that has marked the wall. Any of these could be a sign that the flue isn’t working as it should, or the chimney itself may be blocked with broken brick debris, loose mortar or birds nests.
5)Looking at the pots themselves they appear lopsided or “wonky” or there is vegetation, weeds or buddleia growing on the chimney stack itself. Virginia Creeper or Ivy can also cause problems by providing cover for woodlice and other creepy crawlies to enter the stack or live in the mortar and brickwork.
6)Is there a bad smell coming from the area around it? This could be an old birds nest, dead rodent or just damp and debris and the sooner it’s dealt with the better. Call anytime on 01782 360412.
Leaking Flashings Repaired
If you are comfortable at heights and want to hire scaffolding to check if your chimney flashing is the cause of your damp or leak in the bedroom, then you could tackle a repair like this yourself. However the fact that you are here on our website means that you’d rather get a professional roofing contractor to fix the problem and we would like to help. So just call us with your postcode and a good time to come and fix it and we can schedule you in.
A small piece of lead, zinc or copper flashing could have failed which is letting rain or snow into the gap between the chimney and the roof. Lead aprons can also fail and over a period of time these things can deteriorate further and make a small problem much larger than it needs to be. It’s better to solve an issue like this when it’s cheaper to fix.
If you are happy with the price we quote we could do the job there and then as we can do all kinds of flashing and stepped leadwork quickly and neatly and as necessary do other repointing of any brickwork or stonework too. Phone 01782 360412 to book a professional team with 15 years experience.
Lining
If you have an old brick chimney and are getting draught problems or are looking to get a wood burning stove fitted, then you might need to get it relined. If you have ineffective pull on the chimney and resistance to the flow, then a reline will help restore the updraft to give better and more efficient heat output and better ventilation.
Thinner and taller stacks like the one pictured below are common culprits of condensation so if the fire is no longer in use, such as in this 1950’s home that now has an electric living flame type fire, then it’s better to cap it off.
We can give you a rough estimate from the ground but it’s best if we run our ladders up to the roof and start to check your pots and crowns for cracks or obvious damage. This can be repaired as part of the lining job, when we drop in a stainless steel flue liner which your HETAS or GasSafe engineer can then connect up to your fire or stove, while we connect it at the top.
Not every gas man or solid fuel stove installer likes getting up on a roof to line a chimney-stack so we are often brought in to put in a flue for them for an affordable price. While we are up there we can attend to any re-pointing of the main chimney, flashing or installing cowls and caps which prevent water ingress and help to keep birds or squirrels out of the vent.
Pot Replacement, Caps and Crowns
If you have a new gas appliance instead of a solid fuel fire, then your installer may recommend a metal cap on the top of the chimney-stack rather than a terracotta clay pot. The picture below is of a bungalow chimney clearly showing both types. There is a lot of excess soot on this which needs cleaning, and some brick deterioration as well. If your one looks like this picture below then get in touch for us to check it over for you. You might also need to get it professionally cleaned first before we tackle the brick and stone or pots.
Crowns are the extra section at the top of the chimney – a brick skirt that helps prevent rain from dripping down the side wall of the chimney stack. These can crack and become brittle from the constant expansion and contraction in the mortar, and at worst bricks can become loose in high winds and drop onto vehicles below or down inside causing a blocked chimney.
Caps or Cowls are what goes on top of the chimney pot to prevent rainwater, dust and debris or animals and birds from entering the building down the flue. We can also cap off an unused chimney to prevent bad weather getting in.
Here’s a video on how to identify which chimney pot might need repairing by doing a smoke test.
Roofers Stoke on Trent can rebuild your chimney, repair a leak in the bedroom or loft which is often caused by faulty flashing or a cowl or pot, or we can re-point it or cap it off.
Whatever your roofing and chimney maintenance and repair needs our team will do it all so contact us today.
Give us a call on 01782 360412 to schedule a no-obligation free quote!
