We Repair All Types of Chimneys – Chimney Restorations
Historic homes abound throughout Massachusetts, particularly in the South Framingham and South Shore regions. A lot goes into keeping these homes in top shape and looking great. Historic chimney restoration service is an important part of maintaining an older, classic home.
Four Seasons Chimney Service, MA, has been restoring chimneys since 1998. We cover all the bases and can perform any level of repair, modification, or rebuilding work that’s necessary.
Historic Chimneys Are Unique
While the chimney connected to a pre-1900s home may look similar to a modern chimney, there are some differences. One of the main differences is that these older chimneys likely weren’t built with a chimney liner.
If you’re using your historic chimney without a liner, you could be putting the masonry of the chimney structure, as well as your home itself, at risk of fire. Quality chimney liners protect the interior masonry and adjacent flammable building materials to greatly reduce the possibility of fire and degradation due to the acidic properties of combustion gases.
The absence of chimney liners is just one of the concerns with historic chimneys, especially if they haven’t been professionally maintained over the years.
How We Approach Historic Chimney Restoration
When our trained chimney sweeps work on historic chimneys, we start with a thorough inspection. This tells us right away what kind of problems might be lurking within the structure or its components.
Our chimney restoration work involves many facets:
Venting Issues: It’s important that your chimney flue is able to properly draft smoke from your fireplace. We make sure the flue is the right size for the fireplace and that it is free of obstructions such as tree debris and the nests of small animals. We’ll modify the flue if it needs to be resized.
Chimney Masonry Damage: Compromised masonry will allow water to get into the system and do widespread damage – plus it detracts from the aesthetics of the chimney.
A Leaning Chimney: Structural damage to the bricks and mortar often causes a chimney to lean dangerously to one side.
Cracks in the Chimney Crown: If the cement crown is cracked or decayed, water can seep into it and further destroy it, putting the bricks beneath it at risk of their own damage.
Chimney Leaks: Leaking is common with historic chimneys, so we want to quickly determine the source and the cause and solve the problem.
Faulty Chimney Footing: An improperly built chimney footing or one that was made with inferior materials can cause shifting and leaning.
Fireplace Damper Issues: Older dampers often are rusted and worn, unable to create a solid seal to prevent air exchange between the inside of the home and the outside.
Warped or Missing Chimney Flashing: If the flashing that seals the gap between the roof and the chimney is warped or missing, water can flow down into the home and result in structural damage and mold growth.
Historic Chimney Rebuilding
When historic chimneys are seriously damaged due to some of the causes we noted above or other causes, our licensed, experienced masons can perform partial or complete rebuilding.
After an inspection, we’ll know the extent of the damage and can determine the best way to go about fixing it. Some historic chimney rebuilding projects require only the stack (the part of the chimney above the roof) to be rebuilt; other cases require the stack and the breast (the part below the roof) to be rebuilt.
For expert historic chimney restoration, Four Seasons Chimney Service is ready to help. Speak with an experienced technician at (781) 383-0415.
We serve Cohasset, Dedham, Randolph, Brockton, Avon, Stoughton, Canton, Norwood, and other local communities.
This is the beginning of a chimney restoration on a multistory single family home.
The chimney had deteriorated below the roofline and Four Seasons Chimney Service begins the restoration in the attic.
The chimney professional works on the rooftop while his tools and materials are close at hand on a secure scaffold.
The chimney sweep is completing the application of the flashing at the base of the chimney. Flashing allows rain water to flow away from the chimney thus aiding in keeping your home dry.
The chimney professional applies final touches to corbeling, a decorative feature added to the chimney top. Corbeling adds a distinctive and attractive feature to your home.
Corbeling is nearly complete.
The restored chimney. The sweep looks happy and so were the homeowners when they saw the finished result.
