(206) 866-2929Get my free estimate

Blog

Notes from the roof

Pacific Northwest chimney questions, answered plainly — each article links to one service page and nowhere else.

  1. Dark water staining and eroded mortar joints on a red brick chimney stack seen against a grey skyAugust 2026Where a Seattle chimney leak actually startsSeattle’s chimney leaks follow a predictable path: the crown cracks first, then the mortar, then the flashing, and only then does water show up as a stain on the ceiling. Here is the order it actually happens in, and where to look first.
  2. A chimney stack wrapped in protective sheeting and tented against rain during repair work on a roofAugust 2026Burn bans in the Puget Sound region, and what they mean for your fireplaceA burn ban restricts using a fireplace or wood stove during poor air quality — it does not restrict having one serviced. Here is what Stage 1 and Stage 2 actually mean, who qualifies for an exemption, and how to keep a wood-burning fireplace ready for the days you can use it.
  3. Brick faces flaking away and open mortar joints on a chimney, close detailAugust 2026Unreinforced masonry chimneys and Seattle’s seismic riskMore than 1,500 Seattle-area chimneys were damaged in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, concentrated almost exactly along the Seattle Fault. Here is what that means for an unreinforced brick chimney today, and when a post-event inspection actually matters.
  4. Several new stainless steel chimney caps with mesh spark-arrestor screens laid out on a work surface before installationJuly 2026Spark arrestor rules in Washington StateWashington’s fire code sets specific, checkable requirements for a chimney spark arrestor. Here is exactly what the code says, why each number is what it is, and what it means when a cap gets replaced.
  5. Coiled stainless steel flue liner sections and fittings stacked in the back of a work vanJuly 2026When chimney work in Seattle needs a permitRepointing a chimney with no structural change usually needs no permit in Seattle. Work touching a load-bearing support or the building envelope needs one regardless of cost. Here is where that line actually falls.
  6. Thick green moss and fir needles built up on a cracked concrete chimney crown on a cedar shingle roofJuly 2026Moss, debris and why caps fail early hereA chimney cap in Seattle or King County works under a load most of the country never deals with: near-constant shade, moisture and needle litter from evergreen canopy. Here is why that shortens a cap’s working life, and what actually helps.
  7. A freshly poured concrete chimney crown with a sloped surface and an overhanging drip edge, seen from above on a roofJuly 2026What changes the scope of a chimney repairTwo chimneys with the same symptom can need very different amounts of work. Here are the factors that actually determine how big a repair job is — access, how far damage has spread, material matching, and timing relative to the season.