Brick Chimney Teardown and Replacement.

[Lawngevity]

I'm a little premature here with a thread but I'm curious how many brick masons are here on the board?

I have a very large brick chimney that needs a teardown and rebuild from the roofline up. The previous owners were elderly and weren't aware of any issues with the cap stone. Unfortunately, the stone was actually three separate pieces caulked together. The water seepage was so great the chimney has horrible efflorescence on the outside wall from calcium seepage just above the firebox. About thirty years ago someone applied a cement stucco as a fix/repair but that was a bad idea.

The house is a brick ranch located in Connecticut. I'm probably about to get the shock of my life when I get my first quote back. I bet the chimney repair will cost twice what the house was built for back in 1952.

See image below.

 

[Biker1mike]

I had to have the top 24 courses of my double chimney replaced. yeah, it ain't cheap. I was doing major home upgrades and I do not recall the cost. Money flowed like cheap wine that year as I wanted to retire without house worries.
Northeast Chimney in Selkirk NY does excellent work. They only go as far as the Berkshires but may be able to give you a name of a company local to you.
I thought about the price of a good company verse the cost of a chimney fire at midnight and the cost suddenly seemed pretty fair.

 

[WFM]

Several yrs ago a customer in southern Maine had a stone fireplace that was on the outside of the front house from foundation up above the eves of the house a few feet. A one level ranch.
The top was 7' long x 3' wide at the top. Inside it was a beautiful stone fireplace. But over the years it started seeping leaking and after being cemented and caulked still leaked.
I made a over size stainless chimmy cap for it and that solved the leakage issue in the top.
Not sure if something simple like that might work or if it's falling apart then you need a Mason.

 

[Grindstone]

I use Armstrong Chimney & Stoves for my maintenance/repairs. They have been very good to me so far. Located in Taftville, CT.

 

[Lawngevity]

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Had a German mason do my chimney decades ago, he CAST the cap stone in place,waaaaay on top of my house. He never, ever used 'store bought' caps,either singles or 2 piece units. Mixed his own concrete as well. Word is none have ever failed.he hated my concrete brick siding ,always wanted to tear it off and put up a 'real brick'. Sadly he never got he chance, rebounding deer killed him.