Chimney repair in McAllen TX - a sound chimney that keeps water out of your house
Water stains by the fireplace, crumbling mortar up top or a musty smell? We find where the water gets in and fix it right.
- Service
- Chimney repair
- Call
- (956) 331-0202
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
Stains near the chimney
A brown ring on the ceiling or a damp patch on the wall beside the fireplace usually means water is getting in up top, at the crown or where the roof meets the chimney. Left alone, that water soaks into drywall and framing, and the repair spreads from the chimney into the house.
Cracked crown on top
If you can see cracks or missing chunks in the cap on top of the chimney, water has an easy path down inside the brick. Every rain after that widens the cracks, so what could have been a patch can turn into rebuilding the crown.
Crumbling or missing mortar
Sandy joints, gaps you can push a key into, or bits of mortar on the roof below the chimney mean the joints are wearing out. The longer they go, the more water the brick takes on, until bricks work loose and that section has to be relaid.
What does chimney repair in McAllen involve?
Chimney repair in McAllen is the work that keeps your chimney sound and keeps water out of your house, mostly at the crown on top and at the joint where the roof meets the brick. At Cornerstone McAllen Concrete and Masonry, I look over the whole chimney first, and then we fix what actually needs it, whether that's the crown, the flashing or the brick and mortar below. We're based in McAllen and work in the cities around it across the Valley.
Most people call me after a stain shows up by the fireplace or mortar starts landing on the roof, and they want to know how bad it is. The price moves with what's wrong and how much of it there is, a crown patch or a new crown, flashing that has to be pulled and reset, how many bricks and joints need work, and how easy your chimney is to reach. The schedule turns on those same things, plus whatever we only find once the old flashing or mortar comes out, so I'll give you your own number at the estimate. We're licensed and fully insured, and if your repair needs a permit, I'll tell you when I come out.
Details to note before an estimate
- Spots where water shows up indoors
- What fuel your fireplace burns
- When the chimney was last inspected
- Visible cracks in the crown or mortar
How we handle chimney repair
Most chimney trouble we see is water, so before we touch the brick I look hard at the crown on top and the flashing where the roof meets the chimney. If the crown is cracked, we patch it when the concrete underneath is still solid and rebuild it when it isn't, because a patch over a failing crown just moves the leak. At the roof joint we make sure there's base flashing lying on the roof and counter flashing set into the brick and lapped over it, since one without the other lets water run right behind. Only then do we work down the chimney, raking out bad joints, mixing mortar to match the old color and resetting anything loose, and we clean the roof and the yard before we leave.
Some chimneys need more than a fix up top. When the joints are worn all the way down the stack or across the house, tuckpointing gives the wall fresh mortar, and when bricks have cracked or their faces have popped off, brick repair swaps them for ones that blend in. If your brick is still in good shape, though, I'll tell you to leave it be.
Work that often goes with a chimney repair
Tuckpointing
Makes sense when mortar joints have gone soft or sunk back from the brick face, because new mortar seals the wall against rain again.
Brick repair
Worth calling about when bricks are cracked, chipped or flaking, since a damaged face lets water in and new brick has to match the old.
What happens after you call about your chimney?
Call or send a request
Call (956) 331-0202 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing, like where water shows up or what's coming off the chimney. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I come out and look
I come out myself, check the crown, the flashing and the brick, and ask a lot of questions about leaks and how you use the fireplace. Then you get an estimate with what I'd fix and what it costs, so you decide with the real number in hand.
Permits handled, then the repair
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with the city it's in and set up the inspections. Then my crew and I come do the repair ourselves.
Clean up and walk through
We clean the roof, the yard and the hearth when we're done, then walk the finished job with you. I'll show you what we fixed up top so you're not taking it on faith.
Questions before you book chimney repair
How often should my chimney be inspected?
At least once a year, according to the national fire safety standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents. The check looks at whether the chimney is sound and at deposits inside, and repairs follow only if it turns up a need, so it's easy to plan repair money around that visit. You can ask a sweep for a Level 1 inspection by name, and if they don't know what that is, find one who does.
Do I need a chimney inspection if I hardly ever use my fireplace?
Yes, because a chimney that sits unused can still become unsafe. Animals can nest in the flue, the inner passage the smoke goes up, and other wear can set in while nobody's looking, so the yearly check still makes sense even if you only light a fire a couple of times a year.
Does a gas fireplace chimney need to be checked?
Yes, it should still be checked for blockage. Gas burns clean, but bird nests or other debris can block the flue and stop the chimney from working. If a gas or oil appliance needs a new liner, the makers' installation and warranty requirements don't call for an insulated one.
How much does chimney repair cost in McAllen?
Fixing a single problem on a chimney usually runs about $160 to $750 per job across the US, which is a national figure, not our price. Where yours lands depends on what's wrong, how much of it there is and how hard the chimney is to reach, and the estimate I give on site is your real number. All our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What causes a chimney to leak?
Most leaks start at the crown, the concrete cap on top, or at the flashing where the roof meets the chimney, and the crown is the one people tend to overlook. When the seals up there fail, water gets into the space between the chimney wall and the flue liner and works its way into the house from there.
Who issues building permits in McAllen?
McAllen's Building Permits and Inspections Department issues them, and as a general rule a permit is required to build, alter, repair or improve. Permits go through the city's online permit portal, inspections are requested at 956-681-1328, and the department takes permit questions at (956) 681-1300. When your chimney job needs one, that's the part we handle for you.
Get a free on-site chimney estimate
We reply within one business day to set a time, and then I come out myself to look over the chimney, the crown and the roof joint. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation to book anything.
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Get your leaking chimney looked at
A cracked crown caught early is usually a patch, while water left working into the brick can mean rebuilding the top of the chimney.