Chimney repair in Riga and the Riga region

What chimney repair covers

• Rebuilding the head above the roof, where frost and damp damage the masonry most: chimney head rebuilding.
• Restoring render on the head and in the attic: chimney rendering.
• Fitting a cap against rain, snow, birds and leaves: chimney cap installation.
• Casting a new crown slab if the old one has cracked and water leaks into the masonry.
• Repairing cracks and crumbled joints in the attic and indoors.
• Fitting a cleaning door if the flue has none or it is too small.
• Restoring a damaged flue channel with a liner: chimney liner installation.
• Demolishing a chimney that is no longer used.

We do not build or repair stoves, cookers or fireplaces, but we clean their flue channels: stove and fireplace cleaning.

Chimney rebuilding: partial or full

Most often only the head above the roof or part of the chimney in the attic is rebuilt, because lower down, in the warmth of the house, the masonry is usually sound. We rebuild with solid ceramic bricks that withstand frost and damp, not with sand-lime bricks or hollow bricks. We keep the flue channel's cross-section, and the walls must be at least half a brick thick.

If the chimney is damaged along its whole height, the old masonry is crumbling lower down too, or the chimney is needed in another place, rebuilding is often not the best option. Then we compare it with a new modular or stainless steel chimney: chimney installation. When rebuilding the head, we also check the height: chimney height above the roof.

Cracked chimney

Cracks above the roof are usually caused by frost and damp, and in the attic by the building settling and temperature swings, while long cracks down the whole chimney often remain after a soot fire. VUGD states that burning soot damages the flue and promotes micro-cracks. The most dangerous cracks are inside the flue channel, because they cannot be seen, yet flue gases and carbon monoxide can get through them into the attic and rooms.

In the attic the chimney must be whitewashed or painted a light colour. On white masonry, soot streaks at cracks are easy to see. If you smell smoke in the rooms, stop using the fire, because using a damaged flue is prohibited. We close small outer cracks with mortar and render, and restore through-cracks and a damaged flue channel with a liner or rebuilding. If cracks appeared after a soot fire, read: chimney check after a soot fire.

Leaking chimney

If the chimney is damp in the attic or a room, the water can come from three places. The first is the top: without a cap, rain and snow fall straight into the flue channel, and a cracked crown slab lets water into the masonry. The second is the head itself: crumbled joints and porous brick soak up rain like a sponge. The third is condensation from inside, caused by cool flue gases; then the damp appears when the fire is lit, not after rain: condensation in the chimney.

If only the ceiling around the chimney is damp but the chimney itself is dry in the attic, the cause is usually in the roof, and a roofer assesses it. This can be found out at the inspection, before you pay for chimney work that will not solve the problem.

Chimney demolition

An unused chimney is demolished if it is crumbling, takes up space in the attic or is in the way of a roof rebuild. Before demolition we check that the same masonry does not hold another flue channel or ventilation duct that is still in use. In old houses they are often side by side. The masonry is taken down brick by brick from the top, and the connection points in the rooms are bricked up. The opening in the roof is then closed by a roofer.

In an apartment building the chimney is common property, so demolition is agreed with the building manager or the flat owners. If you plan to use the chimney in future, you can leave it standing, fit a cap and brick up the connection.

How chimney repair is done

1. Description in the form Tell us what you see: cracks, damp, fallen bricks, a smell of smoke, and which appliance is connected.
2. Cleaning and camera We clean the flue and inspect it with a camera to see internal damage as well: camera inspection.
3. Quote We tell you what must be done and what can wait, and name the price. We start the repair only once you agree.
4. Work on the roof Work on the roof is done with safety equipment, and the roof around the chimney is usually protected from debris and mortar.
5. Check After the repair the draught is checked.

The work is done by a qualified craftsman. Mortar work is done when there is no frost, so head rebuilding and rendering take place in the warm season. In winter a damaged head is usually secured for the time being so it does not fall apart.

How much does chimney repair cost?

There is no single price for repair: relaying two courses of brick and restoring a whole head with a new crown slab are completely different jobs. The price depends on:

• the height of the chimney, the roof pitch and access to the roof;
• how much masonry has to be taken down and rebuilt;
• whether a new crown slab, render, cap or cleaning door is needed;
• the condition of the flue inside and whether a liner is needed too;
• materials: bricks, mortar, render, cap.

Materials are priced separately from the labour. If we find damage during cleaning, we quote the repair separately and carry it out only once you agree. The specialist will name the price after you submit the form and after the inspection. Other prices: prices.

We repair chimneys across Riga and the Riga region, including old houses in Torņakalns and Čiekurkalns, and in Ogre and Saulkrasti.