Chimney Siding Repair in Arlington, TX: Rotted Chases Fixed Right, Top to Bottom

Soft Siding on the Chimney Chase Means Water Has Been Getting In

Walk around a two-story home in Southwest Arlington and look up. On many houses built between the 1980s and the early 2000s, the chimney is a tall box covered in siding, not brick. That box is a chimney chase. When the paint bubbles, the bottom boards swell, or a corner of trim pulls away, water has been running inside that box for months, maybe years. That is when a chimney siding repair in Arlington, TX stops being optional.

Crownline Chimney Sweep repairs chimney siding and chases in Arlington, TX. We find where the water gets in, replace the rotted siding, trim and framing, fix the chase cover on top, and give you photos of all of it. The estimate is free, and the price is in writing before we touch a board.

A chase is not just a cosmetic wrap. It holds the metal flue pipe of a factory-built fireplace, and it has to keep rain out of the framing and away from that pipe. Fix the siding alone and the rot comes back the next spring. That is why a professional chimney company, not only a siding contractor, should handle this repair; a general construction or renovation crew does not usually open the chase to check the pipe.

Chimney Siding Repair in Arlington, TX: Why Chases Rot

A chimney chase is framed like a wall: studs, a top plate, sheathing, house wrap, siding and trim, with a flat metal chase cover on top. Water gets in from four places, and we check each one.

• The chase cover. The original galvanized cover rusts through or sags in the middle and holds a puddle. Water drips onto the top plate inside the chase.
• Top trim and corner trim. Caulk dries out in Texas sun. The gap at the top of the siding lets rain run straight down behind it.
• Flashing at the roof line. The step flashing and the kickout at the bottom of the chase fail, and water runs behind the siding where the chase meets the roof.
• Hardboard siding. Many 1980s and 1990s chases were sided with hardboard or thin plywood. It soaks up water and swells, and once it swells it never dries flat again.

North Texas weather is hard on all of this. Spring hail in Tarrant County dents chase covers and cracks caulk lines. Summer heat bakes the trim. Then a heavy rain finds every opening. By the time the siding looks bad from the street, the sheathing behind it is usually soft too.

Signs Your Chimney Chase Needs Repair

You can spot most chase problems from the ground. Call for a free estimate if you see any of these:

• Siding on the chase that is swollen, cupped or peeling, especially the bottom two or three boards.
• Dark streaks or rust stains running down from the top of the chase.
• Trim pulling away at the corners, or gaps you can see daylight through.
• A chase cover that looks dented, rusted or flat instead of slightly peaked.
• Water stains on the ceiling or wall near the fireplace after a hard rain.
• A musty smell near the fireplace, or mushrooms or green growth on the siding.
• The chase leaning or pulling away from the house wall.

Any one of these is enough for a homeowner to book an inspection. If you have two or more, the framing is probably wet already. We also look at the chase during every fireplace inspection on a factory-built unit, because the chase is part of the fireplace system.

What Our Chimney Chase Repair Service Includes

Every chase repair in Arlington follows the same steps.

1. Inspection with photos. We check the siding, trim, sheathing, flashing, chase cover, storm collar and cap from the roof, and the firebox and flue pipe from inside. You get the photos.
2. Written price. One written estimate that lists what we found and what we will replace. Nothing is added later without your OK.
3. Tear-out. Rotted siding, trim and sheathing come off. We open the chase far enough to see dry wood on every side.
4. Framing repair. Soft studs and top plates are sistered or replaced. We check that the flue pipe still has the clearance to wood the manufacturer requires.
5. Sheathing, wrap and flashing. New sheathing, house wrap, new step flashing and a kickout where the chase meets the roof.
6. New siding and trim. Fiber cement or LP SmartSide siding to match the house, primed and painted.
7. Chase cover and cap. The cover is resealed or replaced with a new one that sheds water. We reset the storm collar and the chimney chase cover is sealed at the pipe.
8. Clean-up and photos. Debris hauled off, yard cleaned, and before-and-after photos sent to you.

Siding Contractors vs a Chimney Company: Who Should Fix the Chase?

Arlington has plenty of siding contractors, and a good one can hang new boards. The problem is what sits inside the chase. A factory-built fireplace flue has clearance rules to any wood around it, set by the manufacturer and by the NFPA 211 standard for chimneys and fireplaces. The top of the chase needs a firestop, a chase cover with a proper drip edge, a storm collar and a cap, all sealed in the right order. A siding crew that has never opened a chase can box the pipe back in too tight, skip the firestop, or caulk the cover shut and trap the next leak inside.

Crownline is a chimney company first. Our Arlington crew has more than 20 years of hands-on work on Arlington fireplaces, which includes a lot of chases in the 76016 and 76017 ZIP codes. We repair the siding and the framing, and we also handle the chase cover, the cap, the flashing and the flue pipe. One contractor, one written quote, one crew that is insured and bonded.

Comparing quotes? Ask any contractor three things: Will you open the chase to check the framing and pipe clearance? Will you replace or reseal the chase cover? Will you flash the roof line? A no on any of those means the siding will rot again.

What Chimney Siding Repair Costs in Arlington

There is no flat price for chase repair because the price is set by how deep the rot goes. Here is what moves it:

We do not quote chase repair over the phone. Crownline inspects the chase, shows you the photos, and gives you a free written estimate for the exact work your home needs; affordable for an Arlington homeowner because you pay for the rot you have, not a package. If another contractor has given you a written quote from an insured company, we match it for the same scope.

Arlington Homes Where We See Chase Damage Most

Chimney chases are a Southwest Arlington story. The larger family homes built from the 1980s through the 2000s west of Cooper Street and around Lake Arlington were mostly built with factory-built fireplaces and sided chases, not brick. The same goes for many homes in South Arlington near I-20 and Matlock Road, close to our office on Highlander Blvd. Dalworthington Gardens has a mix: custom brick chimneys on the older ranch homes and sided chases on the newer builds.

Three local conditions do most of the damage: spring hail across Tarrant County dents chase covers and opens caulk lines, summer heat dries out the trim and paint, and North Texas clay soil moves the house a little every year, which opens gaps where the chase meets the roof.

Why Arlington Homeowners Call Crownline for Chase Repair

Crownline Chimney Sweep is a local Arlington company, not a lead site with a rented suite. Every customer gets the same thing: a reliable crew, a clear solution, and photos to review afterward. Our office is at 700 Highlander Blvd near the Parks Mall, and our crew has worked on Arlington homes for more than 20 years. We are insured and bonded, which matters on a job that involves ladders, a roof and open framing on your house.

Here is what you get on a chase repair with us:

• A free estimate and a written price before any work starts.
• Photos of the rot, the framing and the finished chase, so you see what you paid for.
• Siding and trim matched to the house, with high-quality fiber cement or engineered wood that outlasts the worn-out originals for durability.
• The chase cover, cap, flashing and flue pipe checked on the same visit, because fixing the siding alone is a short-term fix.
• 10% off for seniors, veterans and first responders, and price matching on written quotes from an insured company. One discount per job.

That is why we call ourselves the best chimney company in Arlington: a local crew, 20 years of Arlington chases, a written price, and photos to prove the work.

Where We Repair Chimney Chases Near Arlington

Crownline is a residential chimney business based in Arlington TX, and our technician crew works throughout the city: ZIP codes 76001, 76006, 76010, 76012, 76013, 76016, 76017 and 76018, from Lake Arlington and South Arlington to North Arlington, East Arlington near AT&T Stadium, Viridian, Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens, plus Grand Prairie and the surrounding areas on the Fort Worth side of DFW. Our location on Highlander Blvd puts most of Southwest Arlington within a short drive, which keeps the trip charge off your estimate.

Our chase services include siding and trim replacement, framing restoration, chase cover install and replacement, and the exterior flashing where the chase meets the roof, residential and commercial; for an apartment complex with a row of chases, see our commercial chimney services. We also check the flue pipe in the attic where it passes through the ceiling, because a wet chase rusts the pipe joints hidden up there. The aim is to restore the chase’s functionality, not just its looks.

Chase repair is one of the many chimney services we offer in Arlington, TX. Chase work pairs well with a yearly chimney cleaning and a chimney inspection, since a technician is already on the roof for both. If the leak turns out to be at the roof line instead of the chase, our chimney flashing and leak repair service covers that too. Call (817) 505-4222 or request a free estimate below, and we will take a look before the next storm does more damage.

Below are the frequently asked questions Arlington homeowners send us about chimney chase and siding repair. If yours is not here, call and a real person at our Arlington office will answer it.