Chimney Repair · Rochester NY
Rochester's Chimney
Repair Contractor
If your chimney is leaking, the brick is spalling, or you're seeing cracked mortar joints, Rochester's freeze-thaw winters will keep making it worse. Don DeManno has been repairing and rebuilding chimneys across Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Victor, and the surrounding area for over thirty years. He'll come out, take a look, and give you a straight read on what it needs.
30+ years of masonry experience • 100% referral business • Built for Rochester winters
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What We Fix
Common Chimney Problems in Rochester NY
Upstate New York winters are hard on chimneys. Moisture gets into the masonry, freezes, expands, and works through the brick and mortar over time. These are the problems we deal with most often across the Rochester area, and the ones Don knows how to fix correctly.
Chimney Leaks
Water inside a chimney is almost always a masonry problem: cracked crown, failed flashing, or porous brick that's absorbed enough moisture to let it through. The leak shows up inside, but the fix starts on the chimney. We trace it to the source and repair it properly.
Spalling Brick
When brick faces pop off and crumble, the brick has absorbed water, frozen, and broken apart. Spalling on a chimney accelerates quickly. Once the face of the brick is gone, the core takes on more water. We remove the damaged brick and replace it with material matched to the existing work.
Cracked Mortar Joints
Mortar joints on a chimney are the most exposed masonry on your house; direct rain, sun, and freeze-thaw cycles hit them harder than anything else. When joints crack and open up, water works behind them fast. Repointing (tuckpointing) removes the failed mortar and replaces it before the brick starts to move.
Freeze-Thaw Damage
Rochester averages over 30 freeze-thaw cycles per year. Every cycle that happens while there's moisture in your chimney masonry expands that moisture by 9%, and that force works against the mortar joints and brick faces until something breaks. Correct repair specifies materials and mixes rated for that exposure class.
Chimney Crown & Cap Failure
The crown is the concrete slab that seals the top of the chimney around the flue liner. A cracked or deteriorated crown is one of the most common ways water gets into a chimney. A proper crown is sloped to shed water and extended to overhang the brick, not a thin skim coat that cracks in the first winter.
Flashing Failure
The joint where your chimney meets the roof is sealed with flashing, typically step flashing and counter flashing. When it pulls away, corrodes, or was installed wrong to begin with, water runs straight down the inside of the chimney wall. We repair and replace flashing as part of chimney repair when needed.
Making the Call
Chimney Repair or Rebuild: Making the Right Call
Not every damaged chimney needs to come down. And not every "repair" will hold if the underlying masonry is too far gone. After thirty years of chimney work in Rochester, Don's read on this is straightforward: if it can be fixed right, fix it. If it can't, a partial or full rebuild is the honest answer.
Repair Makes Sense When…
- Mortar joints are cracked but brick is structurally sound
- Spalling is localized to a few courses
- Crown is cracked but chimney body is intact
- Flashing has failed but brick isn't deteriorated
- Damage is caught early before water penetrates deep
- The original masonry used proper-grade brick and the right mortar mix for the exposure
Rebuild Makes Sense When…
- Brick is spalling across multiple sides and courses
- Mortar joints are eroded back more than ¾ inch
- The chimney is leaning or shows structural movement
- Brick cores are cracked, not just the face
- Multiple prior repairs have failed or were done poorly
- The original construction used undersized or wrong-grade brick
We'll give you a straight assessment on-site. If it can be repaired properly for less money than a rebuild, that's what we'll recommend. If it can't, we'll tell you why, and what a rebuild involves.
Featured Project
Full Chimney Rebuild, Rochester NY
This chimney had reached the end of what repairs could accomplish. Spalling brick across three sides, eroded mortar joints, and a crown that had been patched more than once. We took it down to the roofline and rebuilt it: new brick, new mortar, properly formed crown, and step flashing replaced at the roof joint. The homeowner found us through a referral from a neighbor we'd done a patio for the previous year.
Want to see more of the kind of work Don gets called for? View more Rochester-area project photos →
Service Area
Chimney Repair Across Monroe County, Ontario County & Wayne County
We serve homeowners across the Rochester region. If you're within a reasonable drive, we can come out and take a look.
Monroe County
Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Brighton, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Henrietta, Gates, Chili, Fairport, Spencerport, Hilton, Brockport
Ontario County
Victor, Canandaigua, Farmington, Geneva, Shortsville, Phelps, Clifton Springs
Wayne County
Newark, Lyons, Sodus, Williamson, Macedon, Palmyra, Wolcott, Red Creek
Not sure if we cover your area? Call 585-490-1600 and ask. We'll give you a straight answer.
Questions
Chimney Repair FAQ
How do I know if my chimney needs repair or a full rebuild?
The honest answer is that you need someone who knows masonry to look at it, not just a general contractor or roofer. Spalling brick, open mortar joints, and visible cracks are obvious warning signs, but the real question is how deep the damage goes and whether the brick itself is still structurally intact. Don will give you a straight read on-site.
My chimney is leaking. Is that always a masonry problem?
Not always, but the masonry is usually involved. Chimney leaks can come from failed flashing at the roofline, a cracked or deteriorated crown, porous or spalling brick, or open mortar joints. It can also be condensation from an unlined or improperly lined flue. We trace the source before recommending repairs, because you don't want to pay for a crown repair if the leak is actually at the flashing.
What is tuckpointing and does my chimney need it?
Tuckpointing, also called repointing, is removing deteriorated mortar from the joints and replacing it with fresh mortar. Chimney mortar joints are exposed to weather from every direction, so they age faster than mortar on a wall. If your joints are cracked, crumbling, or washed out, tuckpointing may be the right repair.
How long does a chimney repair or rebuild take?
A tuckpointing job on a standard chimney usually takes one to two days. A full chimney rebuild, taking it down to the roofline and rebuilding it, typically takes two to four days depending on chimney size and height. Weather plays a role with masonry; we do not work mortar in conditions that will cause it to fail.
Do you repair chimneys on all types of homes?
Yes. We work on single-family homes, duplexes, and older houses with original brick chimneys throughout the Rochester area. If you have an older home with a clay brick chimney that has been through decades of Rochester winters, that is exactly the kind of work we do most.
Can I get an estimate without committing to anything?
Yes. Call 585-490-1600 to schedule a free on-site estimate. Don will come out, look at the chimney, and give you a straight number with no sales pressure. The estimate is straightforward: scope of work, materials, and price.
Don't Wait on a Leaking Chimney
If your chimney is leaking or the masonry is starting to break down, it's better to deal with it now than after another Rochester winter makes it worse. Call for a free estimate. Don will come out, take a look, and tell you straight what it needs.
585-490-1600Free on-site estimates across Rochester, Monroe County, Ontario County, and Wayne County.
Free Estimate
Request a Chimney Repair Estimate
Tell us what's going on with your chimney and we'll come out for a free look. No charge, no pressure. Just a straight read on what the work actually involves.
Phone: 585-490-1600
Email: don@stonemasonryny.com
That's Don's direct inbox.
Serving homeowners across Monroe County, Ontario County, and Wayne County including Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Brighton, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Henrietta, Gates, Chili, Fairport, Victor, Spencerport, Hilton, Canandaigua, Farmington, Newark, Macedon, and Palmyra.
If you want to compare this with other recent work, see project photos here.