Free written estimate before any work begins

Chimney Repair in Burlingame, CA

From a cracked crown to a full rebuild, with the scope and the price agreed in writing before anyone picks up a tool.

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FreeWritten estimate before work
1-2 daysTypical crown or liner job
MatchedMortar mixed to the original

Chimney Repair for Burlingame homes

Burlingame has some of the best chimney work on the Peninsula and some of the most neglected, often on the same street. The Easton Addition and Burlingame Park are full of 1920s and 1930s Spanish Revival and Tudor houses built when a fireplace was the center of the room and the masonry was done by people who expected it to last a century. Much of it has, but the mortar in those joints is now approaching a hundred years old, and soft old brick pointed at some stage with hard modern cement is a recurring problem we are called to correct. Decorative clay chimney pots, corbelled caps and tall slender stacks are common here, which makes matching materials on a repair a genuine part of the job rather than an afterthought.

Heavy concentration of 1920s-1930s Spanish Revival and Tudor housing with original decorative masonry, clay pots and tall slender stacks. Century-old mortar approaching the end of its service life, frequently made worse by earlier repointing in cement mortar that is harder than the surrounding brick. Repairs here need matched mixes and careful color work.

Included in every job

  • The cause fixed, not the symptom
  • Written scope, fixed price
  • Matched materials
  • Work that suits the structure

Warning signs

When Burlingame homes need this service

  • Pieces of mortar or brick in the firebox or on the roof
  • Damp patches on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney breast
  • A white powdery bloom on the outside brickwork
  • The crown at the top is cracked, spalled or missing
  • The stack leans, bows, or has a visible gap where it meets the roof
  • Rusted or missing flashing at the roofline
  • Cracked or displaced flue tiles found during an inspection
  • Damage after an earthquake or a major storm

Chimney Repair in Burlingame

Call (209) 447-0752 for same-week availability.

Process

How the visit works

Diagnose the cause

Inspection first, including the roof and the flue, so the quote addresses the reason and not just the visible damage.

Scope and quote in writing

What we will do, the materials, the access needed and the price. Free, and yours to compare.

Protect the site

Roof and grounds protected before the work starts, and access arranged so nothing is dropped where it should not be.

Carry out the repair

Repointing, crown rebuilding, liner replacement, flashing, cap fitting or a full rebuild, depending on what the diagnosis found.

Water test and photograph

Where the repair addressed a leak we test it, and you get before and after photographs on completion.

Questions

FAQs

Can you match the original brick on a 1920s Burlingame house?

In most cases yes, and matching the mortar strength matters even more than the color. A lot of the damage we correct in Burlingame was caused by well-meaning repointing in hard modern cement, which pushes the stress into soft period brick and spalls the faces off.

Our Burlingame chimney has a decorative clay pot. Can it stay?

Usually. Original pots are worth keeping and we work around them where the pot is sound. If one is cracked we will tell you, because a failed pot lets water straight into the top of the flue.

How do I know whether it needs repointing or rebuilding?

It depends on how deep the failure goes. If the mortar has eroded but the bricks are sound and the stack is straight, repointing is the answer. If bricks are spalling, the stack is leaning, or the structure has moved, rebuilding the affected section is the safer and often cheaper long-term option. The inspection tells us which.

My chimney leaks when it rains. Where is the water coming from?

Usually one of four places: a cracked crown, missing or failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof, porous or unpointed brickwork, or a missing cap letting rain straight down the flue. They present identically inside the house, which is why we diagnose before quoting.

Contact Alpine Chimney

Alpine Chimney Company
1080 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030

(209) 447-0752
info@alpinechimneycompany.com

Open 24/7Every day, including holidays

Request a Free Quote

Fast response. No obligation.

Call (209) 447-0752