Local chimney chase cover replacement in Middleburg
We replace rusted Middleburg chase covers with sloped, collared tops that send rain off the edges, after a free look at the old one.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
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Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.
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Chase cover experts Middleburg families can reach directly
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
While the old cover is off in Middleburg, we check the air space around the pipe inside the chase, since that view only lasts a day.
- Free inspection and estimateWe measure your Middleburg chase and look under the old top at no charge before anything is quoted.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesMetal, gauge and any framing repair each get their own priced line, and that total is what you pay.
- Workmanship warrantyThe new top, its collars and its fasteners are covered by our workmanship warranty, written on the estimate.
Rust streaks under a chase top
Brown or orange streaks running down the siding from the top of a chase are the outside sign of a chase cover that is rusting. The streaks start at the skirt edge, where water that crossed the rusting sheet drips off. By the time they show, the top may already have pitted through in its low spots, because the rust began where water sat longest. At your house in Middleburg we trace the streak back to its source, confirm it is the cover and not the cap above it, and replace the top in a metal that holds up better for the exposure. The measuring visit in Middleburg costs nothing, so call (904) 920-5495 before the next rain.
Middleburg sits away from the coastline. Middleburg lies within Clay County.
Your chase top job, part by part
- Old chase top, screws and sealant taken off the chase
- Framing and sheathing under the old top probed and reported
- Garden hose test on the finished top where footing is safe
- Rust streaks on Middleburg siding traced to cover, collar or cap
Tape measure to hose test on a chase top
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Measure over the siding
We measure all four sides at the top of your Middleburg chase, over the siding and trim, and check the diagonals so the skirt fits snug.
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Read the fireplace drawing
The maker's manual for your model sets the collar height, the open gap at the pipe and the minimum slope, and the new top is drawn to it.
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Shape, collar and fasten
The top is cross-broken or pitched away from each pipe, collared at every hole and screwed through the skirt into the framing. The storm collar goes back on and is sealed where the manual says.
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Hose test and walk-through
Where the roof gives safe footing, we run water over the finished top and watch it leave every edge, then show you what changed.
Checking Middleburg chase tops after a storm
After a strong storm passes Middleburg, a quick look from the ground at the chase top is worth doing. A raised edge, a bent collar or a new streak on the siding are the signs to call about.
We check the top, the storm collar and the cap together, and tell you in writing whether the cover can be refastened or needs replacing.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Rusted chase top? Book the replacement within 72 hours of the inspection and 10% comes off.
Cross-breaks, the creases that move water
Cross-breaks are shallow creases pressed into the sheet from corner to corner, forming a low X. They do two things. They stiffen a flat panel so it does not sag between its edges, and they give the surface four gentle slopes that fall from the center toward the sides.
On a chase top that means water runs away from the pipe collar and off the drip instead of pooling. Cross-breaks suit tops with the pipe near the center. When the pipe sits off to one side, a top with a fabricated pitch can do the same job more evenly, and we say which shape we will build and why.
Air openings the termination needs
Some factory-built chimneys are cooled by air moving between their pipe walls, and their terminations have openings for that air. The installation steps for several models carry the same note on their drawings: do not seal ventilation openings. Some chase-style terminations also call for small noncombustible spacers at the corners of the chase, so the chase top sits on them with an air space beneath it.
A new cover has to preserve every one of those openings and spacers exactly as the drawing shows. Sealing them to stop a leak can overheat the chimney, so we trace leaks to their real source and leave the openings alone, as drawn.
Why sealant cannot fix a flat top
Some old chase tops are covered in layers of roof cement or caulk, spread over rust spots and seams in the hope of stopping a leak. Sealant can bridge a pinhole for a while, but it cannot change the shape of a flat sheet, so the water still sits where it did before. Each layer also hides the metal, making it hard to see how far the rust has spread.
When a sealed-over top comes off, it can show more damage than its surface suggested. A shaped new top removes the need for the sealant, and the old layers go into the dumpster with the rusted sheet.
Checks behind a chase cover price
- Cross-breaks or a fabricated pitch, and the slope it gives
- Collar height and hole diameter for each chimney pipe
- Framing and sheathing condition under the old top, priced separately
- Paint or powder-coat finish, if chosen, and its color
Chase cover questions from Middleburg
Can rotted framing be fixed at the same time?
Yes, and it has to be solid before a new cover is fastened down. Rotted top plates or sheathing are repaired first and shown on the estimate apart from the cover.
Can you replace the cover while I am at work?
Not for the roof work, if we can reach the roof safely. Someone needs to be home if we have to read the fireplace model plate or look for water inside.
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