HistoricHistoric District Chimneys
Repairs in materials and styles that suit older homes, with photos and specs to support your Historic District Commission application.
- Soft-mortar repointing
- Period-appropriate caps
- Documentation for approval
Open 24/7 · Orange County
Old Stone, Tall Oaks& College-Town ChimneysHistoric chimney repair, stone walls, rental inspections and sweeps for Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Durham
Chapel Hill is full of character: low stone walls along the old streets, century-old homes in the historic districts, and big hardwood trees dropping leaves on every roof each fall. There are also hundreds of rental houses where a fireplace can be a liability. From our shop on Estes Dr we repair, restore and inspect it all, and we pick up the phone at any hour.
27514Estes Dr shop
Stonewalls & chimneys
24/7always answered
Evening job · Chapel Hill
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Chapel Hill Chimney
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What we offer
Chimney and stone work for a historic college town
From 1920s cottages near campus to newer homes in Meadowmont and Southern Village.
Historic
Stone wallsStone Wall Restoration
Resetting and rebuilding the low fieldstone walls that line Chapel Hill's older streets and yards.
- Dry-laid and mortared walls
- Fallen-section rebuilds
- Matching local stone
LandlordsRental Fireplace Inspections
Yearly inspections between leases, written reports for your files, and safe decommissioning for fireplaces tenants shouldn't use.
- Turnover-week scheduling
- Written reports
- Sealing unused fireplaces
Under the oaksCaps & Leaf Guards
Caps sized for wooded lots that keep leaves, acorns and squirrels out of the flue, plus clean-outs when they've already gotten in.
- Stainless and copper caps
- Leaf and debris clean-outs
- Animal guards
Safe flueLiners & Inserts
Stainless liners for unlined or cracked old flues, and inserts for homeowners who want efficient heat.
- Stainless relining
- Gas and wood inserts
- Damper repair
24/7Sweeps & Emergencies
HEPA-clean sweeps and a real person on the phone around the clock for smoke, leaks and storm damage.
- Annual sweeps
- Storm tarping
- After-hours response
For property owners
A simple fireplace plan for rental houses
Student renters and fireplaces can be a risky mix. Here's how local owners keep things safe and documented.
DECIDE
Use it or seal it
Choose whether tenants may burn. If not, we seal the opening and damper properly.
INSPECT
Every turnover
We check the flue, cap, firebox and CO alarms while the house is empty in summer.
DOCUMENT
Report on file
Dated photos and a written report for your records and your insurer.
RESPOND
Tenant calls
Tenants can call us directly at any hour. We keep you in the loop.
Hard cement patchesBrick damage
Lime-based repointingHistoric and sound
Historic districts
Working on a chimney in a historic district
Check before you change
Exterior changes in Chapel Hill's local historic districts usually need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Like-for-like repair is often simpler.
Soft brick needs soft mortar
Old handmade brick can crack when repointed with modern hard mortar. We use lime-based mixes.
Keep the profile
Corbelled tops, original caps and chimney shapes matter to the look of the street.
Modern safety inside
A stainless liner adds safety without changing what anyone sees from the sidewalk.
Orange County & beyond
From Hillsborough to Briar Chapel
We're on Estes Dr near Franklin St, close to 15-501 and NC-54, so most of the area is a quick drive. Choose a place.
Truck toDowntown
About4 min
Pick a neighborhood
Your call is answered
Truck leaves Estes Dr
Text on approach
Inspect and fix
Estimated from 104 S Estes Dr. Game days and campus traffic on Franklin St can slow us, so we confirm a time when you call.
A Chapel Hill signature
Those low stone walls need care too
The fieldstone walls along campus and the older neighborhoods are part of what makes the town feel like Chapel Hill. Roots, traffic and time push them over.
Bulging sections
Tree roots and soil pressure push stones outward until the face leans.
Fallen capstones
Loose top stones get knocked off by mowers, cars and kids walking along them.
Mismatched repairs
Gray cement and the wrong stone stick out. We match local stone and joint style.
Rebuilt to last
Proper footing and placement keep a rebuilt section standing for decades.
Roots and ageStones shifting
Reset with matched stoneSolid again
Areas served
Chapel Hill and neighboring towns
Orange, Durham and northern Chatham counties.
- Downtown Chapel Hill
- Franklin-Rosemary
- Gimghoul
- Westwood
- Glen Lennox
- Meadowmont
- Southern Village
- Timberlyne
- Carrboro
- Hillsborough
- Durham
- Briar Chapel
- Governors Club
- Pittsboro
Can tenants or owners call you after hours?
Yes. Our phone is staffed around the clock, holidays included. Smoke in the house, water coming in or a chimney damaged by a falling limb all get a quick response. For fire or a sounding CO alarm, get everyone out and call 911 first.
Do I need approval to repair a chimney in a historic district?
Exterior changes in Chapel Hill's local historic districts generally go through the Historic District Commission. Repairs that match existing materials are often simpler. We provide photos and specs to support your application.
Should I let student tenants use the fireplace?
That's your call. If you allow it, have it inspected every year and make sure CO and smoke alarms work. If not, we can seal the fireplace properly so it can't be used.
Can you fix a Chapel Hill stone wall?
Yes. We reset or rebuild fallen and bulging sections of fieldstone walls, matching the local stone and the original joint style.
Leaves keep clogging our chimney. What helps?
A cap with the right mesh keeps leaves, acorns and squirrels out. If debris is already inside, we clear it before the first fire of the season.
What mortar do you use on old brick?
For historic soft brick, lime-based mortars that are softer than the brick. That lets the joints, not the bricks, take the wear over time.
Where do you work?
Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Durham, Briar Chapel, Governors Club and Pittsboro.
History preserved. Fires made safe.
Chapel Hill Chimney & Masonry answers 24/7 for historic chimneys, stone walls, rental inspections and emergencies.
(984) 888-8501 Call Chapel Hill Chimney
Chapel Hill Chimney & Masonry
104 S Estes Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(984) 888-8501
Get directions →
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(984) 888-8501
Get directions →
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