Wilson & Son Chimney Contractors
A picturesque red tiled roof featuring chimneys and skylight windows against a blue sky.

Chimney Masonry Above the Van Nuys Roofline

Call (820) 345-0335

Ask About the Top of Your Chimney

Cracked crown, a roof leak by the stack, loose brick? Tell us and we call back to set a roof visit.

Roof photos firstDaily, 7 AM to 7 PM

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Crowns Repaired and Repoured
Joints Repointed to Match
Flashing Cut Into the Brick
Rebuilds Above the Roofline
Roof Photos Every Visit
Van Nuys Based
Crowns Repaired and Repoured
Joints Repointed to Match
Flashing Cut Into the Brick
Rebuilds Above the Roofline
Roof Photos Every Visit
Van Nuys Based
Masonry First, Then the Rest

Crowns, joints, flashing and rebuilds, plus the sweeps and fireplace work around them.

Most Van Nuys chimney trouble starts on the roof. Each card below is one job, and each one begins with photos of how your stack is built.

01

Chimney Sweep

A sweep clears creosote and soot, and while we are up there we photograph the crown and top joints too. Booked in Van Nuys and across the San Fernando Valley.

Complete creosote and soot removal
Smoke chamber deep cleaning
HEPA-filtered vacuum and drop cloths at the hearth
Damper inspection and cleaning included
How we do this job
02

Chimney Inspection

We start on the roof with the crown, joints and flashing, then work down the flue. Van Nuys inspections come with photos of every face and a plain account of the build.

Level 1: Visual inspection for annual maintenance
Level 2: Camera inspection for real estate or damage assessment
Level 3: Invasive inspection for suspected hidden damage
Detailed digital photo report delivered after every visit
How we do this job
03

Chimney Repair

Most leaks start at the crown, the top joints or the flashing. We find which one in Van Nuys, show you the photo, and repair that part with matched brick and mortar.

Mortar joint repair and tuckpointing
Chimney crown repair and replacement
Flue liner repair and relining
Chimney crack repair and sealing
How we do this job
04

Fireplace Inspection

The firebox, damper and smoke chamber checked part by part in Van Nuys, with the masonry above them looked at on the same visit.

Full firebox and refractory panel inspection
Damper operation and sealing test
Smoke shelf and smoke chamber evaluation
Hearth extension and surround condition check
How we do this job
05

Fireplace Repair

Cracked firebrick, a warped damper or worn smoke shelf mortar, repaired in Van Nuys with the material each part was built from.

Refractory brick and panel replacement
Damper repair and replacement
Smoke shelf and smoke chamber repair
Hearth tile and surround restoration
How we do this job
06

Chimney Level 2 Inspection

The camera inspection a home sale calls for in Van Nuys, plus roof photos of the crown and top courses so buyers see the outside of the stack too.

360° video camera scan of entire flue interior
Full inspection of accessible portions per NFPA 211
Required for real estate transactions - meets lender standards
Required after chimney fire, storm, or seismic event
How we do this job
07

Chimney Cap Installation

A cap is only as solid as the crown it sits on. In Van Nuys we fit stainless caps with spark screens and fix the crown under them first.

Stainless steel and copper cap options
Spark arrestor mesh included on every cap
Custom sizing for multi-flue chimneys
Mesh sized to keep animals and debris out
How we do this job
08

Chimney Flashing Repair

Flashing pulled away from the brick is behind most leaks beside a chimney. We cut counter flashing into the joints in Van Nuys instead of leaning on caulk.

Step flashing and counter flashing repair
Cricket installation for wide chimneys
Lead and aluminum flashing options
Sealant application at all chimney-to-roof joints
How we do this job
09

Chimney Masonry Repair

Open joints near the top go first. We rake them out and repoint Van Nuys chimneys with mortar matched to the brick, face by face.

Tuckpointing and repointing services
Brick replacement with color matching
Mortar joint restoration (Type N and Type S)
Waterproofing sealant applied after repair
How we do this job
10

Chimney Rebuilds

When the courses above the roofline have shifted or split, we take them down to sound brick and relay them in Van Nuys, matched to the stack below.

Partial rebuild (above roofline)
Full chimney reconstruction
Earthquake damage repair and retrofit
California building code compliance
How we do this job
11

Fireplace Cleaning

Ash, soot and creosote cleared from the firebox, hearth and glass doors in Van Nuys, on wood-burning and gas fireplaces.

Firebox ash and soot removal
Glass door cleaning and gasket check
Hearth stone and surround cleaning
Smoke stain removal from masonry
How we do this job
12

Gas Fireplace Cleaning

Burner, pilot, thermocouple, logs and glass cleaned on gas fireplaces in Van Nuys, with a carbon monoxide check before we leave.

Pilot assembly and thermocouple cleaning
Ceramic log inspection and repositioning
Burner port cleaning for even flame
Glass panel cleaning and gasket inspection
How we do this job
13

Gas Fireplace Repair

A gas fireplace that will not light or stay lit usually has a failed thermocouple, valve or igniter. We trace which one in Van Nuys before replacing anything.

Pilot light and ignition system repair
Thermocouple and thermopile replacement
Gas valve diagnosis and replacement
Direct-vent and ventless unit service
How we do this job
14

Fireplace Remodel

New surrounds, mantels and insert conversions in Van Nuys, built after we check that the firebox and flue behind them are sound.

Stone and tile surround installation
Custom mantel design and fabrication
Gas or electric insert conversion
Hearth extension and floor protection
How we do this job
15

Fireplace Inserts

Gas, wood and electric inserts fitted into existing masonry fireboxes in Van Nuys, with the liner and venting the unit calls for.

Gas, wood, and electric insert options
Existing masonry firebox compatibility check
Stainless steel liner installation included
Gas line connection for gas inserts
How we do this job
16

Pellet Stove Repair

Augers, igniters, blowers and control boards diagnosed and repaired on pellet stoves in Van Nuys.

Auger motor and feed system repair
Igniter replacement for all brands
Combustion and convection blower service
Control board diagnosis and replacement
How we do this job
17

Wood Stove Repair

Baffles, firebrick, door gaskets and combustors repaired on wood stoves in Van Nuys, with the stovepipe checked on the same visit.

Baffle plate replacement
Firebrick and refractory repair
Door gasket and glass replacement
Catalytic combustor service
How we do this job
18

Gas Logs

Vented and ventless gas log sets for masonry fireplaces in Van Nuys, sized to the room with a shut-off on the gas line.

Vented and ventless gas log options
BTU sizing for room and firebox dimensions
Gas line connection with shut-off valve
Damper clamp installation for vented sets
How we do this job
A family sits together on a couch in their new home, embracing the moving experience.

Above the Roofline

Crown, joints, flashing: the parts of a chimney that take the weather first.

The Masonry Side

A small crew that shows you how your chimney is built, then fixes the part that failed.

Wilson & Son Chimney Contractors works out of Van Nuys on the masonry side of the chimney: the crown on top, the mortar joints down the stack, the flashing where brick meets roof, and the courses above the roofline that weather and the 1994 quake loosened.

Most of that work happens where you cannot see it from the yard. So before we quote anything, we go up, photograph the crown and every face of the stack, and walk you through what the pictures show and how the chimney was put together.

We are a small crew, and the person who explains the job is on the roof doing it. If a crown can be resealed instead of repoured, or a few courses repointed instead of rebuilt, we say so.

Crowns, joints and flashing are the core work

Roof visits 7 AM to 7 PM, every day

The build explained before any brick comes off

Photos of the stack above the roofline

What Owners Tell Us

Nobody had ever shown them a photo of their own crown before.

So every visit starts on the roof, and every quote comes with the pictures it is based on.

Top of the Stack First

Crowns, joints, flashing and the courses above the roofline are where Valley chimneys fail. That is where every visit starts.

The Build, Explained

Before we quote, we walk you through how your chimney is put together and which piece gave out, with the photos in front of you.

Smallest Repair That Holds

A reseal when a reseal will do, a repoint before a rebuild. When a stack does need rebuilding above the roof, the photos show why.

Matched Brick and Mortar

Brick size and color, mortar hardness and joint shape are matched to what is there, so the repair weathers with the rest of the stack.

Roof First

From the crown down to a repair you understand

Five steps. We look at the top of the stack before anything else, and you see every photo we base the work on.

01

Tell Us What You See

Call or send the form with what you have noticed: a stain beside the chimney, mortar sand on the roof, a crack you can see from the yard. That is enough for us to plan the roof visit.

02

We Go Up First

On the visit we start on the roof. The crown, each face of the stack, the flashing and the top courses are photographed before we look down the flue.

03

We Explain the Build

We sit down with you and the photos and walk through how your chimney is put together: solid brick or veneer, what mortar it was laid in, how the crown and flashing were done. Then we show which part failed.

04

You Get the Smallest Fix That Works

The quote names the repair that solves the problem: a reseal before a new crown, a repoint before a rebuild, a reflash before a new roof section. If a bigger job is needed, the photos show why.

05

Matched Masonry, Then Photos Again

The repair is done with brick and mortar matched to the stack. When we climb down, you get photos of the finished work next to the ones we took before.

Call (820) 345-0335

Roof visits 7 AM to 7 PM daily. Ask us to explain your stack when you call.

Where the Crew Climbs

Van Nuys first, then Sherman Oaks, Encino and the rest of the Valley

143 cities have their own page. Each one says what tends to fail on top of the chimneys there: the crown, the joints, the flashing or the courses above the roof.

Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks, the first stop south of our Van Nuys base

Part of Sherman Oaks was Van Nuys until the city moved the line in 1991, so the chimneys here look a lot like ours: postwar brick on the flats and taller stacks on the hillside lots. On the flats it is usually the crown and top joints; on the hill it is the flashing and the courses above a steep roof.

EncinoStudio CityVan NuysTarzana

Encino

Encino, west of Sherman Oaks along Ventura Boulevard

Encino lots often have a main living room chimney and a second stack for a den or an addition, each put up by a different builder. We look at every stack on the property, because one can have a sound crown while the one beside it has split.

Sherman OaksTarzanaWoodland HillsCalabasas

Studio City

Studio City, southeast of our Van Nuys base along Ventura Boulevard

Many Studio City chimneys date from the 1940s through the 1960s, and on the canyon lots they rise tall above steep roofs. That height is where the trouble collects: the top courses take the most sun and wind, and flashing on a steep pitch is the first seal to let go.

Sherman OaksEncinoToluca LakeBurbank

Burbank

Burbank, at the eastern edge of the Valley

Burbank grew fast after the war, and many of its brick chimneys went up quickly in that boom. When they fail it is usually at the top: a thin crown, joints laid lean, and flashing that was only ever caulked to the brick.

Toluca LakeStudio CityGlendaleNorth Hollywood

More areas

139 more areas on the route

Every city →

What fails up top

Three things we find on Valley roofs again and again

Hot summers, winter rain and old quake damage all show up first at the top of the stack. These are the repairs we explain most often.

Cracked crowns

A crown troweled flat out of mortar sheds water badly and cracks in the heat. We show you the crack, then reseal it or pour a proper sloped crown with an overhang.

Open mortar joints

Joints near the top go soft first. We rake them out and repoint with a mortar matched to the brick, so the repair moves with the stack instead of cracking it.

Loose courses and flashing

Brick above the roofline that shifted in 1994 often pulls the flashing with it. Sometimes a reflash fixes the leak; sometimes the top courses need relaying first. We tell you which.

All 143 cities on the routeCall (820) 345-0335
Questions From the Roof

What owners ask once they see their crown

Cracked crowns, open joints, leaking flashing and loose top courses come up most. Want the build of your own chimney explained? Call us at (820) 345-0335.

The crown is the slab on top of the brick that the flue tile pokes through. Its job is to shed rain away from the stack. On many Van Nuys and Valley houses it was troweled flat out of ordinary mortar, with no slope and no overhang, and the summer heat cracks it. Once it cracks, water goes straight into the brick below. A hairline can be sealed; a crown that has cracked through should be repoured with a slope and a drip edge.
Often, but not always. The same stain can come from failed flashing at the roof joint, a cracked crown letting water into the brick, or open mortar joints above the roof. We check all three from the roof and photograph each one, then show you which is letting water in. Fixing the flashing when the crown is the problem just moves the leak.
Repointing means raking out worn mortar to a set depth and packing in new mortar. Most chimneys do not need it everywhere. The top few courses and the face that gets the afternoon sun usually go first, and the rest can be sound. We show you which joints are open and repoint only those, with mortar matched to the brick in color and hardness.
The Northridge quake of January 17, 1994 was centred under the Valley near Reseda, a few miles west of Van Nuys, and many brick chimneys here were shaken hard. The damage tends to sit at the top of the stack, where the brick is least supported: cracked joints, a shifted top course, a crown broken away from the flue tile. If your chimney has not been looked at from the roof since, it is worth a look.
When the brick above the roofline has moved, cracked through or lost enough mortar that repointing would only hold loose brick in place. In that case we take the stack down to sound brick, usually somewhere near the roofline, and relay it with matched brick, a new crown and new flashing. We show you the photos that led to that call, and if a repoint will do, we say so.
In most cases, yes. We match brick by size and color, from salvage where we can, and mix mortar to match the color and hardness of the joints already there. Older brick laid in soft lime mortar should not be repointed with hard cement mortar, because the harder mortar makes the brick crack instead of the joint. We explain which one your stack was laid in.
Because the right repair depends on it. A solid brick stack, a brick stack with a clay liner and a framed chase with stone veneer fail in different places and are fixed in different ways. If you understand how yours is put together, the quote makes sense, and you can see why we are suggesting one repair and not another.
Yes. We sweep flues, inspect fireplaces, clean and repair gas units, and fit caps and inserts. Masonry is the center of what we do, but a sweep is often the visit where we first see a crack in the crown or open joints near the top, so the two jobs go together.
Crown and Masonry Check

Have the top of your Van Nuys chimney looked at

We climb up, photograph the crown, the joints and the flashing, and walk you through how the stack is built before we suggest a single repair.

(820) 345-0335

Roof visits 7 AM to 7 PM, weekends included

Ask about your crown or flashing

Leave a name and number. We call back to ask what you are seeing and set a roof visit.

By sending, you agree Wilson & Son Chimney Contractors may contact you by call, automated text or email about your request. Consent isn't required to buy. Msg & data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out. Privacy Policy

Services by city

Sherman Oaks

Encino

Studio City

Burbank

Woodland Hills

Simi Valley

Wilson & Son Chimney Contractors

Masonry answers for buyers, agents, landlords and anyone with a bad report

We build and fix the part of the chimney above the roofline. These four pages explain what we look at when a house sells, a unit turns over or a report comes back marked up.

After you get the disclosures

You just got the disclosures. Here is what to do about the chimney.

What agents receive

The report and photos an agent gets in hand after a quick Level 2.

Rental turnover work

Check every fireplace when a unit turns over, priced for each fireplace.

A Level 2 is not a test

The plain answer on what failing means and what the usual repairs cost.

Call (820) 345-0335