Chimney repair

It depends on the work — re-pointing or re-flaunching a stack, renewing the lead flashing, rebuilding a few courses of brick or stone, or taking a redundant stack down. Most domestic chimney repairs run from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds. We survey first and give a fixed written price, with no charge for the survey.

Usually the lead flashing where the stack meets the roof has cracked, lifted or perished; or the flaunching (the mortar the pots sit in) has cracked; or the pointing has worn out and the brick/stone is porous. Chimneys are the single most common source of roof leaks, which is why getting the leadwork right matters.

Yes — re-pointing the brick or stone joints and re-flaunching around the pots are everyday work for us, along with renewing or refitting the lead flashings, soakers and back gutters that keep the stack watertight.

If the chimney is still used or adds character, we repair it. If it's redundant and costly to maintain, taking it down to below the roofline and making good can be the sensible option. We'll talk you through both and the cost of each — it's your call.

Yes. Much of Edinburgh is conservation area, listed or tenement, where chimney leadwork and stonework need traditional materials and methods. Our heritage and lead experience is exactly suited to it, and we work to conservation requirements.

Chimney leadwork and flashings are renewed as part of a re-roof where needed — it's one of the details that most often fails, so we don't leave old lead around a new roof. See our re-roofing page.