Chimney repair in Garston, L19, is mostly about brick stacks on terraced houses, including the smaller chimneys over rear additions. Leaks tend to come from cracked cement fillets, old lead, worn pointing or open pots on flues no longer in use. We look at the stack, explain what we find with photos and give you a written quote.
Common Garston chimney faults at a glance
- Cement filletsOld repairs where mortar was used instead of lead; they crack and let rain behind.
- Open potsFlues that are no longer used but still open to the sky, letting rain fall straight down.
- Sealed, unvented fluesFireplaces bricked up with no vent, causing condensation damp in the breast.
- Weathered pointingJoints washed out over decades, especially on the faces that take the prevailing weather.
- Rear stacksSmaller chimneys over the back that are easy to overlook until a ceiling stains.
Getting rid of the cement fillet
If you look at your stack and see a grey, mortar-coloured band where it meets the roof instead of dull grey lead, you are probably looking at a cement fillet. It may have been done years ago as a quick fix. Fillets crack as the building moves, and once they crack, water runs down behind them and into the roof timbers or the chimney breast.
The proper fix is to cut out the fillet and fit lead flashing, with soakers or step flashing up the sides, an apron at the front and a back gutter behind if the stack sits on the slope. We cover this in detail on our lead flashing repair page.
Looking after a flue you no longer use
Many Garston homes have fireplaces that were boarded or bricked up when gas or central heating arrived. Leaving the pot open lets rain in; sealing it tight traps moisture. The balance is a ventilated cap on the pot and an airbrick or vent into the room. It is a small job, but it can stop damp that has been blamed on the roof for years. See our page on chimney caps and cowls.
Repointing the stack
Where mortar joints have worn back, rain soaks into the brickwork and through to the inside. Raking out and repointing, along with replacing any frost-damaged bricks, restores the stack’s ability to shed water. Our repointing service explains what is involved.
A stack that is cracked right through or leaning is a different matter from worn pointing. If yours looks out of line, keep clear of the area beneath and let us know when you call.
What happens when you contact us
We call back and ask what you can see, whether any fireplace is in use, and whether the stack is shared. Next we inspect, from the ground, ladder, roof or drone as appropriate, and you receive a written quote with photos. Scaffold or a platform is arranged before work starts, and when the job is finished you get photos showing the completed repair.
Other areas close to Garston
We are often in neighbouring Allerton and Aigburth. Find out more about our chimney repair team in Liverpool, or explore our wider chimney services for Merseyside homes.
Garston chimney letting in water?
Phone 07777 659786 and tell us what you have noticed. We will ring you back.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cement fillet and why does it fail?
A cement fillet is a strip of mortar used instead of lead to seal where a stack meets the roof. It is cheaper but rigid, so as the roof and stack move slightly it cracks and lets water behind. Replacing it with lead is usually the lasting fix.
Should I keep the chimney if I have no fireplace?
You can, and many people do. The flue then needs a vented cap and a vent in the room so it stays dry. If the stack is in bad shape and not shared, removal below the roofline is another option. We can explain both.
Can you repair a chimney on an end-of-terrace house?
Yes. End-of-terrace stacks are often on the exposed gable wall, so they can take more weather than mid-terrace ones. The repairs are the same kind of work, though access may differ, and we plan it after an inspection.
Do you give a written quote?
Yes. After inspecting, we send a written quote that explains what is wrong, what we propose and why, with photos so you can see the problem for yourself.