Flat valley streets, postwar homes and hot, dry summers. We sweep, inspect and repair chimneys across Van Nuys, from the older ranch blocks to the Kester and Lake Balboa edges.
Send the details and we will get back to you the same day. We inspect first and price after, so the number we give you is the number you pay.
Rather talk it through? Call (818) 854-5578
We cover sweeping, inspection and repair across Van Nuys, from the older postwar blocks around Kester and Cabrillo out toward Lake Balboa and Valley Glen.
Van Nuys sits in the middle of the San Fernando Valley on flat, gridded streets, and much of it was built in the postwar boom of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. That means a lot of single-story ranch and traditional homes with masonry fireplaces of the same age, plus newer infill scattered through the older blocks.
Those midcentury masonry chimneys are the heart of the work here. Decades of valley heat, the odd earthquake and long-deferred maintenance leave crowns cracked, mortar joints open and flue liners worn. None of it is unusual for a chimney this age, and most of it is straightforward to put right once you can see it.
Access is easy on most Van Nuys streets, which are flat and reachable. That keeps the visit quick, and it lets us focus on the chimney rather than the logistics of getting to it.
All of it is available across the neighborhood, and every job opens with an inspection.
Where every job starts. Photos and a plain read on the chimney's real condition.
Crowns, mortar, flashing and flue liners, standard work on postwar valley masonry.
Flue cleared of creosote and soot, with the mess held in the whole visit.
Tracing a leak back to its source, usually a cracked crown or worn flashing here.
Caps and spark arrestors fitted right, keeping out rain, birds and embers.
Firebox, damper and hearth work on the midcentury and remodeled fireplaces here.
Most Van Nuys chimneys are postwar masonry, built anywhere from the 1940s to the 1960s, and age is the main thing we read on them. Old mortar loses its grip, crowns crack, and clay flue tiles wear or shift, especially on a stack that has not had much attention over the years.
The valley heat plays its part. Long, hot summers followed by the occasional hard winter rain push masonry through constant expansion and contraction, and that is what opens crowns and joints and lets water begin working into the brick.
Water is the usual result. Once a crown cracks or the flashing wears, rain gets in and the damage speeds up, staining ceilings and rusting the damper. Catching it at the crown or the cap is far cheaper than chasing it through the house later.
You can check a fair bit from the yard. Look for a cracked crown, rust on the cap and any white staining on the brick. If the mortar crumbles under a screwdriver, the chimney is ready for a proper look.
Call for the quickest answer, or send the form higher up the page and we will come back to you the same day.
Usually the same week, sometimes sooner. We are in the central valley constantly, so a Van Nuys visit fits in easily. Call and we will give you the next open day and a tight arrival window.
Often yes, but its age is the whole question. Old mortar, a cracked crown or a worn flue liner can let heat or water into the house. An inspection shows exactly where it stands, and we walk you through the photos.
It helps a lot. A good cap keeps rain, birds and debris out of the flue and carries a spark arrestor on top. On an open valley flue it is one of the cheapest ways to prevent bigger problems.
Usually a cracked crown or worn flashing letting rain into the masonry. We trace it back to the source and fix that rather than just paint over the stain.
Once a year for most homes that burn wood, before the first cold night. Even light use builds creosote, and the yearly visit is when we catch a cracked crown or rusting cap early.
No. We cover everything before starting and run the vacuum throughout. You should not be able to tell we were there.
We look at it, you see the photos, then you get a written price. Call, or fill in the form above.
