Chimney repair in Mesquite TX - a chimney fixed and safe for your next fire
Cracks in the brick, smoke in the room or a recent chimney fire? We find the damage and fix it before you light another fire.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does chimney repair involve, and can you still use the fireplace?
Chimney repair in Mesquite, TX fixes cracks in a masonry chimney's brick or block and in the clay tile liner inside it, so heat and smoke stay in the flue and the chimney is safe to use again. It often goes along with mortar joint work and replacing broken brick, and it should be done before the next fire goes in the fireplace.
Most folks call me after they spot a crack from the yard, smell smoke in the living room or find bits of mortar on the hearth. We're based in Mesquite and work in many of the cities around it, so if you don't see yours on the site, call and ask. The price mostly turns on how far the cracks run, whether the liner is cracked as well as the outside brick, how much brick has to come out and how hard your roof is to work on. The schedule turns on what we find once the bad mortar is opened up and on any city permit and inspection the job needs. The estimate gives you your own figure, with your options laid out plainly.
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
Cracks in brick or joints
You see a crack running through the bricks or zigzagging along the mortar between them, which usually means the joints are worn or the masonry has moved. Waiting lets water work into that gap, and a small fix can turn into loose brick at the top.
Smoke or soot indoors
If you smell smoke in the house when a fire is going, or see soot on the wall above the firebox, smoke may be slipping out through a crack instead of going up the flue. Don't light another fire until it's been looked at, because that same gap lets heat out too.
A chimney fire, even a short one
A loud roar, a rush of air or flakes of black, puffy soot on the roof can all point to a fire inside the flue. Federal safety guidance says to call a qualified chimney sweep right away for a full safety inspection and make any repairs before the chimney is used again, so plan on the fireplace sitting idle until the work is done.
Work that often goes with it
Tuckpointing
When mortar is soft or sandy across the whole chimney or the house, fresh joints help keep water out and hold off the next round of cracks.
Brick repair
If bricks on your walls, steps or porch are chipped, flaking or broken, we swap them out with brick and mortar picked to match what's there.
How we do chimney repair
A cracked chimney is a safety problem first and a looks problem second, so I'll ask you to hold off on fires until I've had a look. I check the chimney from the firebox up to the crown, the slab of mortar on top, and show you every crack I find, outside and in the liner, so you see what I see. We protect the roof and yard below, cut out the cracked and crumbling mortar, reset or replace broken brick and fix the liner and crown where they're cracked. Mortar is a lot like a sauce, where the right mix for the dish matters more than the strongest one, so we mix ours to suit the brick and mortar already on your house. The fireplace goes back into use once those cracks are fixed.
Chimney work often turns up problems nearby. If the joints are worn over the rest of the house, tuckpointing replaces the old mortar before it lets go, and brick repair takes care of chipped or broken brick on walls and steps. I'll tell you which of those can wait and which can't.
Crack and joint repair
This suits a chimney that's sound overall with a few cracks or worn joints. We cut out the bad mortar, fill it with a matched mix and leave the good brick alone.
Rebuild above the roofline
This suits a chimney whose top section has loose, leaning or broken brick. Taking it down to solid masonry and relaying it costs more than patching, but patching loose brick only hides the problem for a while.
Crown and liner repair
This suits a chimney with a cracked crown on top or a cracked clay liner inside. Those parts keep water out and hot gas in, so they come first when we find damage there.
Get a free on-site look at your cracked chimney
Send this and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free with no obligation, and calling (972) 402-6919 works too.
Call (972) 402-6919Why Mesquite homeowners call Stonework Mesquite Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
In business since 2013
We've been at this since 2013, and careful mortar and brick repair is what we're best known for. I pick the mix to suit the brick already on your chimney, because mortar that fights the old work can crack it all over again.
I check in on the crew
A crew of trained masons does the work, and I stop by during the job to see it's going the way we planned. If something turns up once the old mortar is out, you hear about it from me before anything changes.
We're licensed and fully insured
Chimney work puts people and heavy material up on your roof, so coverage matters more here than on a garden wall. Ask to see it when I come out.
A contained site the city approves
In Mesquite, the city requires debris from permitted work to stay in a container or containment the building official approves, so old brick and mortar go straight into it instead of your flower beds. Keeping a clean station is a habit I brought from the kitchen, and it comes with us to every job.
On a chimney, the first job is making it safe to light again. Send us a message or call (972) 402-6919 and I'll come take a look.
What happens after you call about chimney repair in Mesquite?
Call or send a message
You call (972) 402-6919 or use the form, and we set a time for me to come out and see the chimney. Tell us if you've had a fire since you noticed the damage, because that changes what I look at first.
Walk the chimney with me
I look at it with you, point out each crack and explain what it means in plain words. The estimate gives you the price, the work it covers and your options laid out side by side, so you can decide what to fix now and what can wait.
Permit, repair and final walk
We check with the city whether your chimney job needs a permit, file it when it does and line up the inspections, and permitted work stays open and visible until the city approves it. Then our crew finishes up, and I walk the finished chimney with you before we pack up.
Common questions
Is it safe to use a fireplace with a cracked chimney?
No, not until it's been looked at and repaired. When the clay tile liner and the brick around it crack and pull apart, hot gases can escape and set nearby wood and other things that burn on fire, so the repair comes before the next fire. If you're seeing cracks now, call before you light another.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
Once a year, according to fire officials, who recommend a professional inspection of the chimney and vent every year that includes a look for cracks. Cracks can let smoke into the house or expose parts of the chimney to heat that can start a fire, and a yearly check catches that damage while it's still a repair.
How much does chimney repair cost in Mesquite, TX?
There's no one price, because the cost comes from how much damage your chimney has and what it takes to reach it. Fixing cracks you can see now usually costs less than waiting until brick comes loose and the top has to be relaid, and a crack repair costs less than a rebuild when the chimney is sound. I'll tell you plainly when patching won't hold.
Who issues permits for chimney work in Mesquite, and who can file for one?
The City of Mesquite's Building Inspection Division issues construction permits and inspects remodel work on homes, and the city states that construction permits are required. Only licensed contractors and homeowners who own, live in and homestead the house through the Dallas Central Appraisal District can get permits through the city's online permit system. The division answers questions about required permits and inspections at 972-216-6212, and on our jobs we handle the filing for you.
How do I find a certified chimney sweep near Mesquite?
Federal guidance points owners to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, a non-profit, to find a certified chimney sweep. You can also ask any contractor whether their sweep holds that certification before work starts.
What is the best way to seal a chimney where it meets the roof?
Masonry trade guidance recommends metal flashing, because it holds up to high heat and to being outdoors. Flashing seals the chimney's joints, and the work centers on the base, the line where the chimney meets the roof and the crown on top, so I check all three when I look at a chimney.
Get your chimney checked before the next fire
Jot down where you've seen cracks and whether you've had a chimney fire lately, then call (972) 402-6919 or send the form, so I know what to look at first.