Chimney Repairs in Petworth, West Sussex

Have you noticed bits of mortar sitting in your gutters or on the patio? That is a classic sign that the mortar joints between your chimney bricks are failing. This often happens because of the freeze-thaw cycle, where moisture gets into small cracks, freezes, and expands, eventually blowing the face off the brickwork. Our team specialises in repointing, where we carefully rake out the old, crumbling material and replace it with high-quality mortar matched to your home's character. It is a straightforward fix that restores the structural integrity of your stack and prevents water ingress before it turns into a much bigger, more expensive problem.

The spot where your chimney meets the roof is a prime target for leaks. This area is sealed with lead flashing, which needs to be installed with precision to handle thermal expansion—that is just a way of saying the lead needs to move as it gets hot and cold without cracking or tearing. If your lead is lifting or showing signs of soot staining, it is time for a professional look. We also specialise in repairing back gutters and lead valleys around the stack. Imagine the peace of mind knowing that even during a heavy Chichester downpour, your roof-to-chimney seal is doing its job perfectly and keeping your attic bone dry.

The very top of your chimney, known as the flaunching or benching, is what keeps your chimney pots in place. Over time, this thick layer of mortar can crack, allowing water to seep down into the flue or making the pots themselves unstable. We can strip back the old, cracked flaunching and lay a fresh, sloped bed of mortar to shed water effectively. While we are up there, we often fit bird guards or cowls. These are brilliant for stopping jackdaws from nesting in your flues and preventing rain from falling straight down into your fireplace. It is an easy way to keep your home's ventilation working exactly as it should while keeping pests out.

Sometimes, a bit of repointing isn't enough, especially if a chimney has been neglected for decades or suffered serious storm damage. If your stack is leaning or the masonry is literally crumbling away, it might require a partial or full rebuild to remain safe. We have the expertise to take down dangerous stacks safely and rebuild them to modern standards while keeping the look of your Petworth property intact. Or perhaps you have removed an internal fireplace and the chimney is now redundant? We can safely remove the stack and tile over the area, removing the maintenance burden entirely. Whatever the situation, we will give you a straight-talking, no-obligation assessment of what is actually needed.