Chimney Chase Repair in Altamonte Springs, FL

Prefabricated metal fireplaces became popular in Altamonte Springs during the same 1970s and 80s building boom that shaped most of the community, and many of those systems were enclosed in wood-framed chases rather than traditional masonry. A chase top — the metal cover that seals the top of the chase — is the component we most commonly find failed or missing entirely in these systems, and when it goes, the entire wood framing inside the chase is exposed to Seminole County's summer rain.

Chimney Chase Repair: What the Work Looks Like

The kind of chimney chase repair work we handle for Altamonte Springs homeowners — swipe to see more.

Why Altamonte Springs Homes Need Chimney Chase Repair

Chase deterioration follows a predictable pattern in this area. The original galvanized steel chase covers rust through, sometimes within ten to fifteen years, and once moisture enters the chase it soaks into the wood framing, OSB, or drywall that makes up the structure. By the time a homeowner in Altamonte Springs sees a stain inside near the fireplace or smells mustiness when the damper is open, the framing inside the chase may already have significant water damage. We've opened chases here where the interior framing was compromised down several feet from the top.

Our chase repairs start at the top. We remove the failed chase cover and inspect the top of the chase framing for rot or moisture damage before we close anything up — because putting a new cover on a wet chase just traps the moisture inside. We replace the cover with a properly fitted stainless steel top that won't rust out in Florida's climate. Where the framing itself has been damaged, we assess the extent and make repairs that restore the structural integrity of the enclosure.

If your Altamonte Springs home has a prefabricated fireplace system with a wood-framed chase and you haven't had the chase cover inspected recently — or if you're not sure what's up there — it's worth a look before storm season puts more water into a system that may already be struggling. A chase cover replacement is a relatively simple repair; the water damage that follows a failed one is not.

Signs You Need Chimney Chase Repair

• Rust streaks running down the sides of a metal-topped chimney chase
• Water pooling on top of the chase cover instead of draining off
• Leaks or stains showing up near a prefab (factory-built) fireplace
• Damaged, soft, or rotting siding on the chase structure

How It Works