Riverside chimney and fireplace service by local pros

After high wind or a hard rain, a chimney can be checked from the ground without climbing anything, and that check from the yard tells you whether a call is needed. Stand far enough back to see the whole top of the stack, and use binoculars if you have them. The cap should sit square on the flue with its mesh intact, and a factory-built chase should still have its metal top lying flat with no edge lifted.

Look for pieces of crown on the roof, bricks missing from the top courses, or a stack that no longer lines up with the corner of the house. Follow the flashing around the stack and look for metal that is bent, lifted or missing. Inside, check the firebox for standing water or wet debris, look at the ceiling and walls beside the chimney for fresh stains, and notice any new damp smell.

For a gas fireplace, look outside at the vent termination for leaves or debris packed against it. Stay off a wet roof, and hold off on lighting the fireplace or the gas unit until anything displaced has been put right. If water is coming into the house or the cap or chase cover has blown off, that is a call for the 24/7 emergency line.

Everything else can go on a normal visit, and the estimate separates storm damage from ordinary wear so you can see which is which. If you spot a problem, keep children and pets away from any debris below the chimney. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, per the National Hurricane Center, so a look after each strong system is worth a few minutes.

New cracks through the brick, or daylight at the stack's roof joint, also call for a closer look. After weather like that in Riverside, our pros check the cap, chase cover, crown and flashing in turn and write down what moved. Reach us at (904) 920-5495 with the room and the fuel, and we will set a time in Riverside.