Repairing Wood Siding Chimney

Replacement and resurfacing can be expensive which makes cladding a masonry chimney with siding an attractive option in some instances.

Repairing wood siding chimney.

The good news is that damage is usually limited to two areas. Water splashes up from the ground frequently soaking the vulnerable bottom edges. You are likely to set the house afire. The average cost of wood siding is 7 per square foot.

When rotted siding is found at a wood chimney chase the next step is to have some of the rotted siding removed to have the wall sheathing below the siding inspected for water damage. Framed chimney chases seem to be especially vulnerable and i ve repaired a lot of them over the years. But without proper attention isolated areas can begin rotting in only a few years especially near the foundation. Wood can also develop cracks that create additional water problems.

The first three courses of siding 2 feet or so up from the ground and wood framed chimneys or chases that aren t protected by a roof overhang. When hardboard siding is installed and maintained correctly it can hold up for 30 or 40 years. Installing siding on a chimney requires a layer of wood furring that serves as a base for the siding itself. But the price of wood siding varies by wood type.

The photos below show a few rotted chimneys i ve come across in the past few months. How to repair wood siding. However there are alternative ways to extend a chimney top including a wood chase properly constructed around an insulated multi wall fire. For example the house shown here was built just a few years before my crew and i began working on it but already the paint was peeling from the fiber cement clapboards and the corner boards had begun to rot see image 1.

By the time the homeowners notice the siding is soft they ve got a real problem on their hands. However wood siding requires more maintenance than other materials. Wood however can have knots that fall out or develop holes that allow water to intrude on the internal structures of the chimney according to the maryland shingle website. Wood shingles are often used as siding material for chimneys continuing from the roof area.

Wood siding repair cost. However a masonry chimney may begin to show its age over time.