Chimney Chase Repair in Bartow, FL

Prefabricated metal fireplaces installed in Bartow homes from the 1970s through the 1990s were typically enclosed in a wood-framed chase clad in stucco or siding. These chases are common throughout the Polk County region and age differently than masonry chimneys — the failure modes are more about water infiltration through the chase cover and cladding than about mortar erosion. By now, most of those original chase covers are rusted through or have lost their integrity at the seams.

Chimney Chase Repair: What the Work Looks Like

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

Why Bartow Homes Need Chimney Chase Repair

A failed chase cover lets rain pour directly into the chase cavity, where it saturates the wood framing, soaks the insulation surrounding the flue pipe, and eventually reaches the firebox. Stucco cladding that looks intact on the exterior often hides water damage inside the chase walls that has been accumulating for years. When we open a chase that has had a rusted cover, it is common to find wood that has softened and framing members that need replacement before the cover can be refastened to solid material.

Chase cover replacement involves pulling the failed cover, assessing the condition of the top framing and cap flashing, replacing any soft or compromised wood, and installing a new stainless or galvanized steel cover with a positive-pitch roof form so water runs off rather than pooling. Where the stucco or siding cladding has cracked at the roof line or around the base, we seal those transitions properly so the repair holds through the next rainy season rather than just until it dries out.

For Bartow homeowners with a prefab fireplace in a stucco-clad chase, a rusting chase cover is worth addressing promptly. The repair is straightforward when the underlying framing is still sound, but the longer water has been entering, the more likely the framing work expands the scope. A quick visual check from the ground will often show rust staining on the stucco below the cap — that is a reliable indicator that the cover needs attention.

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