CHIMNEY REPAIR AND RESTORATION PORTFOLIO
Most people don’t know that your chimney will wear out quicker than your home because it is exposed to the elements and is the highest point of most homes. You probably don’t look up at your chimney very often, but we do. From where we stand, your chimney is the most important part of your home. A clogged chimney, or one with loose brick, can become an extremely dangerous situation.
We specialize in all types of chimney repairs, including rebuilding, tuck pointing, cap repair, and installing chimney liners and flashing.
If your chimney needs to be rebuilt, Riteway will provide the closest matching brick to the existing. That is a specialty of ours. Some chimneys just may need to be ground out and tuckpointed. Every chimney repair is different, and we have repaired many throughout the years in La Grange, Oak Park, and all around South Chicago from our Stickney location.
For more info or an estimate please call us at (708) 354-2501.
Repair of Riverside Chimney |
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This customer has worked with us in the past, so they knew whom to call when there was a problem with their new home. Our inspection showed that both chimneys were beyond tuckpointing. We searched for the best matching brick and then rebuilt both chimneys. In photo one, the builder used a brick cap instead of concrete. This particular cap is insufficient and caused premature wear. When rebuilding the chimney, the customer asked if we could make an existing design a little fancier. We came up with a soldier course and new 4-inch concrete cap, with a 1- to 2-inch overhang to form a drip edge. This customer plans to hire us to grind and tuckpoint their entire home. | |
Chimney and Tuckpoint Restoration |
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Some contractors told this customer that his fireplace project would have to be a tear-down. We said we could fix it, and we did. The fireplace, made of a rare limestone, was in desperate need of tuckpointing. We ground the mortar joints to ½ to ¾ inches to ensure good adhesion for the new tuckpointing. Then we put our craftsmanship to work. Sure enough, with a little extra time and care, our process worked. Only a few pieces of limestone had to be replaced, a much better (and less costly) alternative than a complete chimney tear-down. This customer was very happy. | |
Chimney Restoration |
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This chimney restoration is an example of what can happen when the wrong contractor gets the job. The problem started when a contractor put in a new furnace without the proper liner. Condensation from the furnace damaged the mortar from the inside over the years. Our customer realized there was a problem, but further compounded the original mistake by having an amateur tuckpoint the chimney. The job wasn’t done properly, and that tuckpointing effort didn’t last two years. Then we were hired and promptly tore the chimney down to the roofline. We rebuilt it using a new common face brick and also installed a new liner, which connected to the furnace and the hot water heater. The customer was relieved their chimney problems were finally solved! She wrote us a glowing letter, and has recommended us to her friends. | |
ANOTHER Restoration |
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This chimney restoration …. |
Quality means treating every chimney restoration, repair, or cleaning as if we were working on our own home or business. Quality is about having a commitment to our craft—a combination of the right tools, experience, training and passion. And the details matter, too. That’s why we’re so vigilant about matching the bricks and mortar to create a uniform look.
In many ways, honesty and quality are simply caring about what we do—and putting the same effort into projects that are big and small, simple and complex.
Give us a call at 708.354.2501 to ensure your chimney project includes a commitment to honesty and quality.