By:
On:
In: Chimney

This project is almost a textbook demonstration of a bad chimney and the dangers it poses. The existing chimney had been “temporarily” patched years ago and the chimney had been leaking into the roof ever since. Heavy vent pipes in the attic were not supported properly and were a fire hazard. There was not proper space around the vent pipes and they were caked with residue that was a dangerous fire hazard. We replaced the vent pipes and reinforced the concert bond beam and installed anchor plates. The entire chimney was rebuilt so it was tall enough for building code and we properly weatherproofed itRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chimney

“Clinker” bricks are bricks that were exposed to intense heat when fired which gives them a dark, varied appearance and irregular shape. They make a metallic sound when banged together, which is why we call them clinkers. They are an old style brick that you see in old houses and we always do our best to preserve them in in our jobs. The top third of this old chimney was coming loose and needed to be rebuilt. After careful cleaning the bricks for reuse we rebuilt the chimney with rebar supports, wire mesh and mortar. A beautiful classic Berkeley chimney ready to ride out another 100 years onRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chimney, Fireplace

With a chimney broken at the roofline, this was a masonry chimney repair job from the shoulders up. The chimney was a high risk for falling off the roof during an earthquake. Further, the existing fireplace did not function and would smoke if a wood fire was being used. We removed the exterior existing chimney to the shoulders and installed a reinforced concrete bond beam, with vertical rebars, internal chimney blocks and reinforcement straps to secure the whole thing. Additionally a second defunct center chimney was removed and the hole repaired.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Chimney, Fireplace

The existing masonry chimney on this Berkeley home serviced two fireplaces and was broken at the roofline. From a distance it looked just fine, but closer inspection revealed a dangerous horizontal crack at the roofline and an open void at the top of the existing chimney and cracked liners. Damaged chimney liners with cracks and gaps are a fire hazard. When we removed the unreinforced masonry chimney we found rusty small and loose metal brackets holding the chimney to the house! We replaced the second floor fireplace with a zero clearance gas fireplace  and installed a reinforced concrete bond beam at 2nd floor level, with straps tying the chimney to floor levelRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chimney

” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”DESC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] This home in Piedmont, CA had an existing framed Chimney had to be replaced. Upon our inspection, mold was noticed inside the chimney and the vent pipe was not installed correctly. We removed framing part of chimney and discovered rot damage which from incorrect waterproofing. The wooden plate was not anchored correctly and the vent pipe was not sealed which creates a fire hazard. To correct this situation a reinforced concrete bond beam was installed. The new framed chimney was rebuilt to be shorter. Proper waterproofing is essential, and a paper barrier and new flashing was installed.  Finishing touches of new wood siding installed and back metal braces were installed, leaving theRead More →