Chimney repair in Springfield IL - a crown and brick that keep the water out
Crumbling joints, a cracked crown or flaking brick on your chimney? We find out which job you've got and fix what it needs.
Does my chimney need a repair or a rebuild?
Chimney repair in Springfield, IL can be as small as coating a cracked crown, the concrete cap on top, or as big as taking the chimney down to sound brick and building it back up. Either way, the point is to stop water getting in at the top, where the brick soaks it up and breaks apart as it freezes and thaws.
Usually you've spotted something from the yard or the attic, like mortar sanding out of the joints, brick faces flaking off, a crack across the crown, a water stain near the chimney or a chimney that doesn't look straight anymore. The price depends on how far the damage goes, meaning whether the crown can be coated or has to be replaced, whether the trouble stops at the joints or has reached the brick, and whether a liner is part of the job. The schedule depends on the weather, because crown coatings need warm days, and on what your city asks for before we start. The estimate tells you which job you've got and what it covers.
What our chimney repair covers
I get up there and look at the crown and the brick before I put a number on paper, because a cracked crown and a chimney that has to come down are very different jobs, and you should know which one you've got. If the crown can be saved, we clean it and coat it. If it can't, we take it off and form and pour a new one. When the brick is sound and only the joints have failed, we grind out the old mortar and repoint with new mortar. When the brick itself is failing, we take the chimney down to sound brick, lay it back up so it looks like it belongs on your house, and clean up before we leave.
Chimney trouble often isn't limited to the chimney. If the joints on your walls are going the same way, we can add tuckpointing to the same estimate. Damaged bricks lower on the house get brick repair, the same cut-out-and-replace work we do up top.
Chimney and brick work in Springfield, IL
The City of Springfield Building & Zoning Department issues building, demolition and roof permits, and its list names that work, not chimney repair. That means the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit. We check with the city or village office for your address before we start, and if your job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork. If you want to ask the department yourself, it's at 300 S. 7th St., Room 304.
In Springfield, the weather decides when the work gets done. Going by long-term weather records, not a forecast, the first freeze here, a low at or below 32°F, comes around October 20 on average, and the last one comes around April 14. Many crown coatings have to go on at 45°F or warmer, so coating work fits best in the stretch between those dates. Some newer coatings are made to work below freezing, and that's worth asking about on a late-fall job. Older brick chimneys here wear the same way from freezing and thawing, and we see the same damage and book the work the same way on jobs in Chatham and Decatur.
How chimney repair works with us
Call or send the form
You call (217) 210-0722 or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out. We take calls seven days a week, so a weekend look is usually easy to arrange.
I look the chimney over
I check the crown, the joints and the brick and tell you what I see. Your written estimate says which job it is, whether a coating, new mortar, a new crown or a rebuild, and if a smaller fix will do or it can wait, I'll say so.
We check permits and schedule
Once you say go, we confirm what your city or village asks for and set a date. Coating jobs go on warmer days, so we schedule them with the weather in mind.
Do the work and walk it
Our crew does the work and cleans up as we go. Before we pack up, we go over the finished job with you so you know exactly what was done.
Get a chimney and brick repair estimate in Springfield
We reply to every form within one business day. I come out myself, look at the crown and the brick, and write up a free estimate. There's no obligation to go ahead.
What people ask about chimney repair
How much does chimney repair cost in Springfield, IL?
A single-issue chimney repair across the US usually costs about $200 to $750 per job, which covers fixing one problem, not a rebuild. A partial rebuild down to sound brick is a much bigger project than that. You'll get your own number from the estimate after I've been up there.
How do I know if my chimney crown can be coated or needs replacing?
A crown with some cracking can be coated if no pieces are missing and its base and support are sound. If it's broken up or big chunks are gone, it needs to be replaced. That's the first thing I check from the roof.
When does a chimney need to be rebuilt instead of repaired?
A chimney needs a partial rebuild when the damage has gone past the mortar into the brick itself, with faces flaking off, bricks cracking or the chimney leaning. We take it down to sound brick, usually to the roofline, and lay it back up with new or salvaged brick, so plan on a bigger job than a joint repair.
What is the best mortar for an old brick chimney?
Lime mortar is a good choice for older brick, because it's soft and porous and changes little in size as temperatures swing. Straight portland cement and sand is extremely hard, resists water moving through it and shrinks as it sets. Ask any crew which mortar they plan to use and why it suits your brick, and I'll tell you mine on the estimate.
What is the best way to reline a chimney without tearing it down?
A stainless steel flexible liner is the most common choice, because it threads down through the existing chimney with no demolition and works with gas, oil and wood-burning appliances. A clay tile liner is lowered in from the top, so it's only practical during a rebuild. A cast-in-place liner, a cement-like mix pumped around a form inside the flue, suits chimneys that are damaged or oddly shaped.
Is it worth fixing a chimney I don't use anymore?
Usually, yes, because water still comes in at the top whether you light a fire or not, and the brick keeps breaking down. If it's sound and only looks rough, I'll tell you it can wait.
Why Springfield homeowners call Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
I look at every job myself
I come out to every job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on our jobs working right next to our crew. You hear what's wrong from someone who'll be doing the work, not from a salesman.
Repointing older brick since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and repointing and brick repair on older homes is what we're best known for. Most chimney trouble comes down to mortar joints and brick, so you want a crew that does a lot of both.
Licensed and insured masonry crew
We're licensed and insured. That's worth checking with any crew you hire to work up on your roof.
Brick that matches your house
On a rebuild we match the brick and mortar to what's already on your house, so the chimney doesn't look patched from the street. If yours is an older Springfield home, the city's Historic Sites Commission will help you find information and resources on preserving it.
With a chimney, the most important thing is knowing what's actually wrong before anyone picks up a hammer. Get in touch through our contact page and I'll come take a look.
Other brick work your house may need
Tuckpointing
If the mortar on your walls is sanding out like the chimney's, tuckpointing replaces those joints before water starts working into the brick behind them.
Brick repair
Cracked, loose or flaking bricks on walls and steps can be cut out and replaced with brick that matches, so the wall stays tight and looks right.
Have your chimney and brick looked over
Have a photo of the crown and the age of your house handy when you call (217) 210-0722 or send the form, so I know what I'm walking into before I get there.
