Fixing chimney stucco and its water source in Lauderdale Isles
We tell you when a small patch is enough and when a full restucco makes more sense.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
How failing chimney stucco shows itself
- Hairline cracks across one chimney face
- Pieces of stucco found near the base
- Old patches cracking at their edges
- Crumbling stucco close to the ground
Jump to
Stucco repair from base coat to finish
The metal cover above a stucco chase
A stucco chimney built as a framed chase is usually topped by a sheet-metal cover around the flue pipe. If that cover rusts, sags or leaks at the collar, water runs into the chase and down behind the plaster.
Patching the stucco without dealing with the cover can leave the next leak already in progress. We check the cover when we assess the stucco and tell you what we find. Replacing the cover is a separate item, priced on its own, and you decide whether to include it.
Control joints on larger stucco faces
Large stucco surfaces can crack as the plaster shrinks while it cures. Control joints are planned lines that give that movement a place to go, so the cracking happens where it is meant to.
The standard for plaster application sets how control joints are spaced, and base coat makers refer back to it. A small chimney patch rarely needs one. A full restucco on a wide chimney face may. Where an existing joint is present, we keep it in the same place rather than plaster over it.
A horizontal stucco crack near the roof line
A crack running across the chimney close to the roof line deserves attention. It can reflect movement between the chimney and the roof, a change in the base material, or water getting behind the plaster at the flashing.
We look at the flashing, the roof surface and the stucco edge together. If the crack follows a joint between two materials, a rigid patch alone may crack again. We explain what we believe is happening and which repair suits that cause, before any plaster is removed.
Base coat products that follow the plaster standard
Many stucco repairs use a pre-blended base coat that needs only water. Makers of these products state that they comply with the ASTM standard for applying portland cement-based plaster.
A pre-blended base coat gives consistent results batch to batch, which helps on a small repair. Where a matched or softer mix suits the old stucco better, we explain why we prefer it. Either way, the estimate names the material, and the written record confirms what went on the chimney. If a product change is needed partway through, we tell you first.
Stucco work we separate on the estimate
- Repair boundary cut to sound edges
- Color sample for exposed faces
- Sealant at stucco transitions
- Paint on repaired areas where included
What people ask about chimney stucco
Can new stucco go straight over the old surface?
Only where the old stucco is sound, clean and firmly attached, and even then a new finish is a surface treatment. Loose or hollow areas have to come off first. Spreading new plaster over failing stucco usually fails with it.
Is chimney parging the same thing as stucco?
On the outside of a chimney they are closely related, and people use the words loosely. Both are cement coatings over masonry, and we repair them the same way. Parging inside a smoke chamber is a separate job with different materials.
Do you replace the metal lath or reuse it?
Sound lath that has only pulled away can often be refastened. Corroded or torn lath in the repair area is cut out and replaced with corrosion-resistant lath lapped into what remains. The estimate says which we expect to do.
Proudly American
Local service. Careful repairs. A fireplace worth coming home to.
Call Now (645) 465-4171We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo