Morris County, New Jersey
Chimney Inspection and Masonry Care in Mountain Lakes, NJ
Mountain Lakes is almost entirely owner-occupied, detached housing, and about half of it predates 1950. That mix points to chimneys that have been repaired before and may need reading before they are repaired again.
Mountain Lakes, in Morris County, is a borough of detached, owner-occupied houses: about 88% detached and 96% owner-occupied. The Census finds that about 51% of homes were built before 1950, with a median build year of 1949. The ACS median home value is about $917,000.
This page covers what we look for in chimneys of this age, and what to do if yours happens to be finished in stucco.
Because so many houses here date from before 1950, a good number of chimneys may have had at least one earlier repair. Reading what was done, and whether it worked, is the first job of an inspection.
Housing profile
What the housing mix means in Mountain Lakes
Housing is almost entirely detached and owner-occupied, and about half predates 1950. Houses of that age may well have had chimney work before, so a visit often starts with reading earlier repairs, including stucco or parging, before deciding what is next.
What we look at
What earlier repairs leave behind
Patched mortar
Different mortar colors or hardness can show where an earlier repair was made. Mortar that is harder than the brick can damage it.
Added crown or wash
A cement coat over an old crown can crack away from it and hold water instead of shedding it.
Re-flashed roof junction
Sealant used instead of metal flashing tends to fail again. We look at what is there.
Old liner or none
A flue relined years ago can still be sound. An unlined flue is a different question.
If it applies
If your chimney is stucco-covered
Some chimneys are finished in stucco over a masonry or block core. If yours is, the coating is what you see, but the core is what matters. Hairline cracks in the coating can let water reach the core, and stucco that has separated sounds hollow when tapped. The roof junction and the top of the chimney take most of the exposure.
Repair usually means finding where water enters, removing loose coating, repairing the core if needed and recoating, and sealing the top. Patching the surface alone tends to fail again. Our stucco repair page and the guide to cracks in a stucco chimney explain more. We completed a stucco repair in Moorestown.
If your chimney is brick, none of this applies. Brick has its own checkpoints, listed above.
Symptoms
| Symptom | Possible cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow sound when tapped, or bulging coating | Stucco separated from the core | Stucco assessment |
| Hairline map cracking | Weathering or water entry | Look for entry points |
| Brick chimney with white deposits | Water moving through masonry | Find and fix the water path |
| Rust or damp near the roof junction | Flashing failure | Flashing repair |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is my chimney stucco or brick?
Look at the surface. If it is smooth or textured coating, it is stucco. If you can see brick and mortar joints, it is brick.
Can stucco be patched?
Often, if the core is sound. The water entry point has to be found and fixed first.
Have you worked in Mountain Lakes?
See our projects.
Chimney Academy
Guides that go with this page
Questions about your chimney in Mountain Lakes?
Call us, or send a scheduling request. We will contact you to confirm. Your appointment is not confirmed until we do.