Camden County, New Jersey
Shared and Adjoining Chimneys in Collingswood, NJ
Collingswood has older, closely built housing, and fewer than four in ten homes are detached. When houses share walls, chimneys can share trouble.
Emergency first. Act on these before anything else on this page.
- Fire, flames, or a room filling with smoke: get everyone out of the home and call 911 or the fire department. If someone or a pet cannot get out, tell the operator or firefighters right away. Ready.gov: home fires.
- A carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning: get outside to fresh air immediately, then call 911. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so you cannot smell it. CPSC: carbon monoxide.
- You smell gas: leave the building immediately. Do not try to find the source, and do not use light switches, phones, matches, appliances or a car near the building. Once you are at a safe distance, call your gas utility or 911. PSE&G tells customers to move at least 350 feet away and call 1-800-880-PSEG (7734) or 911. PSE&G: if you smell gas. Other utilities publish their own numbers.
The sections below are about routine chimney questions. Booking a visit is for after any emergency is handled.
Collingswood, in Camden County, has older housing: about 60% of homes were built before 1950 and the median build year is 1941. Only about 39% are detached houses, and 57% of occupied homes are owner-occupied. The ACS median home value is about $380,000.
In attached and closely built homes, chimneys can sit within or beside shared walls.
That makes the condition of a neighbor's flue, and of the wall between, matter to you.
Learn
Stains on walls near the chimney
In older houses, a stain on a wall or ceiling near a chimney can come from several places. A brown stain that keeps returning after rain points to water entering at the top or at the flashing. A darker, sooty stain around a fireplace points to smoke spilling or a flue leak. A stain on a shared wall may be the neighbor's chimney.
| Stain | More likely source |
|---|---|
| Brown, spreads after rain | Flashing or crown |
| Gray or black near the opening | Smoke spillage |
| Along a shared wall | Neighbor's side or the party wall |
| White crust | Water moving through masonry |
See why water is coming into your chimney and white stains on chimney brick.
Housing profile
What the housing mix means in Collingswood
With most homes built before 1950 and fewer than four in ten detached, some homes are likely to be attached, such as rowhouses, twins or small multi-unit buildings, which the Census housing-type table groups together. Where a chimney sits in or beside a shared wall it can share a roof with a neighbor, so it helps to know which flues are yours before any repair is priced.
Checklist
Questions in attached homes
- Which flues belong to your home?
- Who owns the roof section the chimney sits in?
- Have both sides been checked recently?
- Do you share a flue with a neighbor?
Symptoms
| Symptom | Possible cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Stain beside the chimney after rain | Flashing | Inspect |
| Soot stains above fireplace | Smoke spillage | Inspect |
| Smoke or gas odor, from either side of the wall | Possible fire or gas leak. Emergency | Leave and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Do not wait to schedule |
| Cracks between flues | Wall deterioration | Assessment |
What we look at
What shared walls change
Separate flues
Each fireplace or appliance should have its own flue. A shared flue is a problem.
The wall between
Cracks between flues can pass smoke or gases.
Roof and parapet
Flashing runs along shared roofs.
Responsibility
Repairs may involve a neighbor.
Services
Services for older rowhouses and twins
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I fix my side only?
Often, if the problem is on your side. We tell you if it is not.
What if a neighbor's flue leaks?
If you smell gas or see smoke, leave and call 911 or your gas utility first. For a flue you only suspect is damaged, tell your neighbor and have both sides checked.
What is a party wall?
A wall shared between two houses.
Service areas
Other areas we serve
Chimney Academy
Guides that go with this page
Questions about your chimney in Collingswood?
Call us, or send a scheduling request. We will contact you to confirm. Your appointment is not confirmed until we do.