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Austin Chimney & Fireplace Repairs
Quality Austin Chimney & Fireplace Repairs
From Your Trusted Team at Wolfman
If you own a fireplace or chimney in the Austin area, we want to be your trusted team for chimney and fireplace repairs. With extensive certification, training, industry memberships, and continuing education, we keep our team empowered to go to each project with everything needed to do it right. We’re known for our integrity and professionalism, so you’ll rest easier in the knowledge that we’ll put your needs first.
"Our core belief is that true success comes from a balance of humility and confidence. We approach every challenge with the assurance of our skills while remaining open to learning and growth, ensuring we serve our clients with integrity and respect."
"Our core belief is that growth is essential for survival. We continuously innovate, adapt, and strive for improvement, believing that standing still means falling behind in a fast-changing world."
"Our core belief is always to help first. By prioritizing the needs of our clients and community, we build trust and long-lasting relationships, knowing that genuine service creates lasting value for everyone."
"Our core belief is always to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. Integrity guides our actions, and we are committed to making choices that reflect honesty, fairness, and responsibility in every aspect of our business."
Our Comprehensive Repair Services
Chimney Cap Installation
A chimney cap is an inexpensive component that works hard. It’s a rain hood that keeps rain out of your chimney, made of 14-gauge powder-coated steel, copper, galvalume, or stainless steel. This important part improves fire safety, excludes animals and debris, and keeps water out while making your home look great.
Chimney Crown Repair
At the top of your chimney is the crown, a wider area that directs rainwater away from the vulnerable sides of your masonry chimney. It works with your chimney cap to help prevent water damage to your chimney system. It takes specific materials and techniques to do the job right.
Leaky Chimney Repairs
Water can cause serious damage to your chimney, including rust, masonry, and mortar decay. If you have water inside your chimney or on the walls or ceilings surrounding it, it’s important to take care of it before it gets worse, creating even more expensive repairs to keep your system operational.
Masonry Repairs
If your masonry is suffering, it doesn’t just make your chimney look bad, it impacts your family as well. Moisture can enter, causing mold, bricks can fall and cause injuries, and similar issues can cause serious problems. We’ll fix the problem and then waterproof so it doesn’t happen again.
Firebox Repairs
Taking the bulk of the heat from your fire, your firebox requires careful construction, regular maintenance, and inspections to ensure it keeps operating safely. If you’re noticing signs of deterioration or cracking, our Austin team can help!
Chimney Relining
A chimney liner does three jobs. It promotes efficient function to ensure smoke and fumes leave the home, it protects your masonry from acidic fumes that can cause it to break down and leak, and they protect your home against smoke and heat in your chimney. If your Austin chimney needs help, relining may fix the issue!
Smoking Fireplace Troubleshooting
Smoke backing up into your home isn’t good, and it can be caused by several issues. To troubleshoot this issue, you need an experienced chimney professional who can diagnose why it’s happening. Our team will take a solid look, determine the source, and fix the issue.
New Construction & Chimney Rebuilds
If your chimney has gone past the point of repair and replacement parts, the more economical option is rebuilding it in many cases. Similarly, if you’re building your home, you want a solid chimney at its heart, delivering strong results for decades. Either way, we can help!
Fireplace Replacements
If you’re considering making a replacement or upgrade to your current fireplace system, such as a factory-built fireplace, wood stove, direct-vent stove, or gas log, we can help! Our team will make the process as streamlined, smooth, and low-stress as possible.
When Do I Need Chimney Repairs?
The best way to catch issues as early as possible is through an annual system inspection. Our chimney and fireplace professionals can spot a lot of issues where you may not see them. However, here are a few basics to watch for:
- Loose or missing brickwork or stonework
- Crumbled, cracking, or missing mortar joints
- New discoloration on your brick or mortar
- Excessive smoke while using the fireplace
- Smoke coming through cracks/holes in masonry
- Odd scents emanating from the fireplace
- Moisture near the chimney in your home
- Gaps, holes, or cracking in your masonry
If these issues show up, don’t wait until your annual inspection. Stop using your fireplace and get a chimney expert out ASAP.
Does Insurance Cover Chimney Repairs?
In some cases, your homeowners’ insurance will cover repairs, and if you don’t know, look into it. In many cases, if there was an outside cause of the damage and additional damage will take place if it isn’t fixed. These types of events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, are known as “sudden occurrences”. However, most companies won’t cover normal wear and tear, including water damage from a missing chimney cap, installation issues, blockages, or issues caused by lack of maintenance. Sudden occurrences cover unexpected accidents or occurrences that you couldn’t have protected it from.
Who should I talk to about my insurance claim?
When you’re going to file a claim, talk to a CSIA-certified chimney professional, as they understand how the process goes and knows how to help you meet your insurance company’s requirements. Talk to your insurance agent as well to make sure you’re getting everything they need. Documentation is vital, and taking time to document everything through the process including date of damage, name of technician, when the evaluation was completed, what they said and similar details can make all the difference between approval and denial.
How Can I Keep My Fireplace Operating More Efficiently?
It’s frustrating when you need to fight with your system to generate more heat, or similar issues. Fortunately, there are several ways to keep your system operating efficiently:
Upgrade Appliances
Rather than a simple open fireplace that lets heat leave your home, add a wood stove insert or gas insert to improve heat output while reducing heat loss. This often includes a blower that allows the heat to be automatically moved further from the fire, improving heating throughout your home.
Burn Seasoned Firewood
To get the best performance, burn only seasoned hardwood firewood, which is wood that has been cut, split, and allowed to dry for a minimum of six months. This gives it a moisture content of about 15-25%, which prevents excess moisture from having to be burned off and lowers creosote levels.
Book Regular Maintenance
It’s important to have your annual inspections as well as recommended cleanings and repairs by your certified chimney professional to maintain efficiency. The technician can spot issues, damage, buildup, or risks that need to be taken care of, ensuring better performance.
Know Your System
Trust an expert, but if your system isn’t operating properly, insist on having someone out to check out the problem. This means knowing how to operate your system correctly, such as pre-warming the flue, opening the damper, and similar operations.
Ask Questions
Wolfman’s team of chimney professionals are always happy to answer any questions you may have about your Austin chimney or fireplace. As CSIA-certified professionals, we’re passionate about ensuring that you have a safe, efficient, effective chimney system. Contact us today with your questions!
When Should I Book Repairs?
Always book repairs in the off season. It’s very tempting to just wait until fall for a late-winter repair, but that’s a bad idea. Most chimney systems run hard through fall and winter, so chimney services are in full swing and hard to schedule. The spring and summer months are much better times, because we can work with your schedule, as well as have time to get them done, order needed parts, and similar issues. Once it’s done, your system will be ready for the next heating season!
How Much are Chimney Repairs?
To determine how much your chimney repairs will run, we need to start with an assessment of the problem. Because every system is unique, we don’t know whether your issue is a failing single chimney cap, which is relatively inexpensive, or if your mortar is failing and requires extensive repointing or even a rebuild, which is much more expensive.
There are also a range of different repairs, such as whether you need a HeatShield® method liner repair or a completely new liner. If a HeatShield® lining option would work, which method would work best for your chimney? For these reasons, we really do need to evaluate your situation before we can present you with potential solutions and costs.
Avoid Chimney Damages by Booking Expert Care Now
A damaged chimney can threaten your home by increasing the risk of house fire and air quality issues. Smoke and fumes can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, and can even impact your HVAC system, causing damage or premature failure. It’s also at higher risk of collapsing, causing additional damage.
When it comes down to it, chimney maintenance through regular inspections, cleanings, and repairs is a necessary part of ownership, and at Wolfman, we’re on your team to keep it operating efficiently, effectively, and safely. If you need help with your chimney or fireplace, call our Austin team today at 512-866-9917 or book online with the top chimney sweeps in your area.
Masonry repairs should always be done by professionals with experience, like the experts at Wolfman Chimney & Fireplace.