Chimney Repair in Lemont, IL

Emerald Masonry LLC provides chimney repair in Lemont, IL — new crowns and caps, step and counter flashing, repointing, and partial or full rebuilds above the roof line. On older homes near downtown we repoint with soft, lime-rich mortar matched to the original; on newer homes up on the bluffs we rebuild for wind and weather. Free on-site assessments: (708) 288-1696.

Lemont is two towns when it comes to chimneys. Down near the old downtown, the canal and the streets climbing out of the valley are older homes — brick and frame houses with short, soft-brick chimneys laid in lime mortar a century ago. Up on the bluffs and in the newer subdivisions toward Homer Glen and Palos Park are large homes built in the 1990s and 2000s, many with tall brick or stone-veneer chimney chases standing on open, windy lots.

Those two chimneys fail for opposite reasons. The old one is usually damaged by the wrong repair. The new one is usually damaged by the weather it was never detailed for.

Chimney repair in Lemont's older homes

The older chimneys in town were built of soft, handmade or early machine-made brick in lime mortar — the same family of soft mortar used in Lemont's limestone buildings. That mortar was designed to be the weaker material: it flexes with the seasons, lets moisture out, and wears away instead of the brick.

The most common damage we see on these stacks is not age. It is a previous repointing with hard Portland-cement mortar. Hard mortar does not flex or breathe, so the brick takes the stress instead. The faces pop off around the new joints, the joints themselves stay perfect, and the chimney gets worse each winter.

What we do on older chimneys

• Test and match the mortar — strength, color and sand — before any joint is cut.
• Rake joints by hand or with care so soft brick edges are not chipped.
• Repoint with lime-rich mortar that stays softer than the brick.
• Replace spalled brick with salvaged or closely matched units.
• Rebuild the crown with a proper overhang and drip edge, and add a cap if there is none.
• Reflash where the stack meets an older roof, often after years of tar patches.

Chimney repair on Lemont's bluff-top homes

The newer homes have the opposite problem. Their chimneys are often tall, exposed on every side, and finished with a thin mortar wash instead of a real crown. On an open lot above the Des Plaines River valley, every face takes wind-driven rain and every course goes through dozens of freeze-thaw cycles a winter.

Water enters at the crown first. From there it soaks the top courses, rusts the flue cap and damper, stains the chase and eventually shows up as a ceiling stain near the fireplace. Stone-veneer chases add their own failure points: loose stones, open joints at corners, and missing weep screed at the base.

What we do on bluff-top chimneys

• Replace mortar-wash tops with a formed, sloped crown that projects past the brick with a drip edge.
• Rebuild the top courses where freeze-thaw has loosened them.
• Install stainless chimney caps sized to the flue.
• Reflash with step and counter flashing cut into the mortar joints.
• Repair or reset stone veneer, and seal open corners and transitions.

Signs you need chimney repair in Lemont

• Cracked or crumbling crown, or a top that is just a smear of mortar.
• Spalling or flaking brick, especially on the top courses.
• Open, sandy or missing mortar joints.
• Leaning stack or a visible gap where the chimney meets the house.
• Water stains on ceilings or walls near the fireplace or chimney.
• Rust streaks below the cap or damper.
• Loose bricks or stones, or debris in the firebox or on the roof.
• Tar or caulk smeared over the flashing.

Risks of waiting

A chimney leak is rarely just a chimney problem. Water reaches roof sheathing, framing, insulation and drywall. Freeze-thaw turns a cracked crown into loose top courses within a few winters. A leaning or loose stack can drop brick onto a roof, deck or walkway. And on an older home, every winter of water through hard mortar costs more original brick.

Our chimney repair process

1. Inspect from the roof, every face, plus the attic and fireplace side.
2. Identify the mortar and brick on older stacks before choosing a repair.
3. Written scope — repoint, rebuild, crown, cap, flashing — with photos.
4. Protect the roof and landscaping, and set up safe access.
5. Repair in order: rebuild loose courses, repoint, build the crown, flash, cap.
6. Clean up and photograph the finished work.

Materials

Lime-rich or Type N mortar matched to the existing chimney; salvaged or matched brick; reinforced, formed concrete crowns with drip edges; stainless steel caps; aluminum or copper step and counter flashing; breathable water-repellent sealer where the brick needs one. We do not use hard mortar on soft brick, and we do not coat a chimney with film-forming sealers that trap moisture.

What drives the cost of chimney repair

• Height above the roof and roof pitch — scaffold or roof brackets.
• Repoint versus rebuild — rebuilding courses is the main cost driver.
• Crown and cap — repair, replace or new.
• Flashing — reseal or full replacement.
• Mortar matching on older chimneys.
• Veneer type — brick, natural stone or manufactured stone.

We do not quote chimneys over the phone. Emerald provides a free on-site assessment and a written scope.

Lemont and nearby

We repair chimneys across Lemont and its neighbours, including Homer Glen and Lockport, plus Palos Park, Orland Park and the southwest suburbs. For older homes, see our historic masonry restoration in Lemont page, and for joint repair on the rest of the house, tuckpointing in Lemont.

Why Lemont homeowners call Emerald for chimney repair

Emerald Masonry LLC is a family-owned masonry contractor serving Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs, led by career masons with decades of hands-on Chicagoland experience. We handle chimney repair and rebuilds, tuckpointing, brick repair and replacement, lintel and limestone repair, sealing, and residential, commercial and historic masonry restoration. Free on-site assessments — call (708) 288-1696.

• Established 2024, led by career masons who do the work.
• Licensed, bonded and insured.
• Mortar matched to the house, not to the truck.
• Written scopes and photos before and after.

Related services: chimney repair, tuckpointing, brick replacement, historic masonry restoration and masonry sealing.

Lemont chimney leaking or crumbling? Call (708) 288-1696 or request a free chimney assessment before the first hard freeze.