Full Chimney Repair in Lakewood, CO
One visible crack rarely tells the whole story on an older chimney.
Full chimney repair addresses the crown, flue liner, masonry and cap together, in the order each one needs to be fixed so the next repair holds.
Dispatching from 12640 W Cedar Dr, Unit 7, Lakewood.
Why scope it as one job
- Older Denver Metro chimneys often fail in more than one place at once
- A 20 person crew handles masonry and liner phases in the same project window
- Full scope is written out before any work is scheduled
What your symptom tells us about the chimney
Each sign points to a specific part of the chimney system. Open a row to see what's happening and what the fix involves.
Water stain spreading across the ceiling near the fireplaceFlashing
The metal flashing where the chimney meets the roofline has separated or corroded, letting water track down behind the masonry instead of shedding off the roof.
See leak repairSmoke rolls back into the room when the fire's goingSmoke chamber
A rough or misshapen smoke chamber disrupts draft, pulling smoke into the room instead of up the flue. It often needs parging and a damper function check, not a bigger fire.
See draft analysisCrumbling mortar or a white chalky film on the brickMortar joints
Freeze and thaw cycles have pushed moisture through the joints, dissolving mortar from the inside and leaving mineral deposits on the surface. Left alone, it spreads along the full height.
See mortar repointingA visible crack across the top of the chimneyCrown
The crown sheds water away from the flue. Once it splits through, water enters the masonry directly beneath it and the damage accelerates every winter.
See crown repairA metallic rattle or a cap that moves in the windChimney cap
A loose cap is usually seated on a crown that's already cracked or shifting. Resetting the cap without addressing the crown underneath just delays the same repair.
See chimney cap installationA burning or soot smell when nothing's runningFlue liner
Fractured clay tile lets creosote odor and exhaust contact the surrounding masonry directly, instead of staying contained in the flue. A camera inspection confirms it before the fireplace gets used again.
See full chimney repair
Lakewood and the US-285 corridor hold some of the oldest brick chimneys in the metro
Our Cedar Drive dispatch puts us minutes from the neighborhoods where mid-century construction is most concentrated.
We're close to Morrison, Englewood and Wheat Ridge, where homes built in the 1960s and 1970s often have load-bearing chimneys, structures that form part of the home's original framing, not just a decorative feature. Repair scope for these systems has to account for structural integrity, not only weatherproofing.
Jefferson County Building Code, the local regulatory framework governing structural chimney repair in Lakewood and surrounding jurisdictions, applies to full rebuild and structural repair work. We work within that framework on every job. Denver's altitude, around 5,280 feet, also sharpens the swing between day and night temperatures, which speeds up freeze and thaw damage.
- 5,280 ft
- Elevation driving sharper freeze and thaw swings
- 4 parts
- Crown, liner, masonry and cap scoped together
- 20 crew
- Members dispatched from our Lakewood office
One call about a crown crack, four components that needed work
I've walked dozens of Lakewood homes where the homeowner called about one thing and the chimney needed four.
From the Lakewood inspection team
Last spring I ran a full chimney inspection on a 1967 ranch-style home off South Kipling. The owner had called about a cracked crown. She'd seen it from the driveway and figured it was a simple fix.
On the roof, the crown was cracked through, not surface damage, but a full split letting water in. I pulled out the camera for the flue next. The liner, originally clay tile, had fractured sections starting about four feet down. Flue liner replacement was necessary at that point, since the fractured tiles were allowing exhaust to contact the surrounding masonry directly.
Checking the mortar joints from the roofline to the base showed classic freeze and thaw spalling. The joints had receded past the point where spot repointing would hold, so masonry restoration meant working the full height, not just the visible sections. The cap was seated on the cracked crown and had been rocking with each freeze and thaw cycle, accelerating the damage from the inside.
Four components, one coordinated scope. We repaired in sequence: masonry stabilization first, liner replacement second, crown replacement third, cap reset last. No revisiting finished work. The homeowner had called about a crown crack. Because we caught the liner fractures before she lit the fireplace that fall, she avoided a far more serious situation.
AR Chimney Pros inspection team, Lakewood dispatch
Your repair scope is confirmed before work starts
A common question from Lakewood homeowners: what if you find more problems once work begins?
The full inspection happens before any repair is scheduled, not during it.
We scope masonry restoration, flue liner replacement, crown, cap and flashing in a single diagnostic session. If something surfaces once the repair starts, we communicate it before proceeding, not after. Our 20 person crew structure means we don't need to send a second team back for a phase we didn't plan for. Masonry specialists and liner installation can run in the same project window.
You know the full scope before we start. That's how the process actually works.
Our standards for full chimney repair
Every full chimney repair we complete meets the same material and process standards, regardless of job size.
- LinerStainless steel flexible liner used where clay tile replacement is required, sized to the appliance and flue height.
- CrownCustom concrete crown formed and poured to shed water away from the flue, not patched with sealant over existing damage.
- MortarType S mortar matched to the original masonry mix profile to prevent differential expansion cracking.
- Chimney capStainless steel or copper cap installed after the crown is set and cured, not concurrent with it.
- FlashingReflashed at the roofline after masonry work is complete, not before.
- WaterproofingVapor permeable penetrating sealer applied to all exposed masonry, in three coats, only after the mortar reaches full cure.
How we execute a full chimney repair
Three phases, in the same order, every time. No steps skipped, no sequence reversed.
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1
Diagnostics
We find the full scope before any work is scheduled.
A full chimney inspection covers exterior masonry from grade to crown, a camera inspection of the full flue length, flashing examination at the roofline, and a damper function check. We identify every component requiring repair and document current condition with photos. Jefferson County Building Code requirements for structural work are confirmed at this stage.
You receive a written scope of work before scheduling begins.
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2
Repair implementation
Masonry gets stabilized before anything else begins.
Masonry restoration, repointing, spalling brick repair and structural stabilization happens first, because the structure needs to be stable before liner or crown work starts. Flue liner replacement follows once masonry mortar has adequate cure time. Crown and cap installation come last, with flashing reflashed at the roofline as the final waterproofing step.
With a 20 person crew, masonry and liner phases don't require separate scheduling windows when scope allows.
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3
Post-service testing
We confirm the chimney is drawing correctly before we leave.
After full repair, we run a smoke test and draft check. We walk the homeowner through every completed repair: what was replaced, what was restored, and why each step happened in the order it did. Photos of the finished work are provided.
See crown repair
Areas we serve
AR Chimney Pros serves Lakewood and the full Greater Denver Metro Area.
Our crews reach Lakewood, Denver, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Englewood, Littleton, Edgewater, Morrison, Golden, Sheridan, Westminster, Aurora, Thornton, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Broomfield, Boulder, Evergreen, Parker, Castle Rock, and dozens of additional communities across the Front Range. We dispatch from our Cedar Drive office in Lakewood.
- Lakewood
- Denver
- Wheat Ridge
- Arvada
- Englewood
- Littleton
- Edgewater
- Morrison
- Golden
- Sheridan
- Westminster
- Aurora
Frequently asked questions
Full repair questions we answer most often on the phone.
How much does a full chimney repair cost compared to fixing one component at a time?
A single component repair, like a crown rebuild on its own, often starts around $300. Full chimney repair costs more upfront because it bundles masonry, liner, crown and cap in one scope. Repairing components separately usually means multiple mobilization visits and rework when sequencing is wrong, so coordinating all four in one visit eliminates that layered cost. Call 720-608-7668 for a quote based on your inspection scope.
How long does a full chimney repair take from inspection to finished work?
Most full chimney repairs span two to four days on-site. The timeline depends on liner type, masonry height and mortar cure time between phases. AR Chimney Pros staffs masonry and liner work in the same project window. Splitting those phases across separate visits adds days, and our 20 person crew avoids that.
What's the repair sequence, and why does the order matter?
Masonry is always stabilized first. Liner replacement follows once mortar has cured. Crown and cap installation come last. Reversing that order, installing a liner before masonry is stable, creates movement that can crack the liner housing. Repair sequencing means each phase supports the next without requiring rework.
Can a full chimney repair be done on a load-bearing chimney without affecting the home's structure?
Yes, but the scope must account for structural integrity, not just weatherproofing. Load-bearing chimneys, common in 1960s and 1970s Lakewood homes, form part of the original framing system. Our inspection confirms whether structural stabilization is required before repair work begins. Jefferson County Building Code requirements for structural chimney work are confirmed at that stage.
What separates AR Chimney Pros' full chimney repair from a company that subcontracts different phases?
We staff masonry, liner and finishing work with our own 20 person crew, with no subcontractors handing off between phases. That matters because each phase needs to be inspected before the next begins. A subcontracted liner crew won't necessarily flag a masonry problem they didn't cause. Our team owns the full scope from diagnostic through post-service smoke test.
After the repair is done, how do I know the chimney is actually safe to use?
We run a smoke test and draft check before we leave the site. Every completed component is walked through with the homeowner: what was replaced, what was restored, and why. Photos of finished work are provided, and the chimney is confirmed ready for use before the crew departs.
More questions about your system? Read the full FAQ.
Related repair services
If the inspection narrows down to a single component, these are the standalone services.
Ready to scope your full chimney repair?
A full chimney repair starts with knowing exactly what needs work, and we find that out before scheduling anything.
Call AR Chimney Pros at 720-608-7668 or email info@archimneypros.com to schedule your inspection. We serve Lakewood and the Greater Denver Metro Area. The inspection tells you the complete scope. After that, you decide how to move forward.