“Allen provided exceptional service — friendly, professional and went above and beyond.”
Verified
Richmond terrace chimneys fail high on the party wall where nobody looks: cracked capping, weathered mortar and cross-leaks between shared flues. FreshDuct inspects on camera and repairs your side without disturbing the neighbour.
Damp on the chimney breast of a Richmond terrace? It is usually the capping or the shared stack, and it needs an inspection before anyone quotes.
The most neglected brickwork in Richmond is at the top of the party-wall stacks. A shared chimney between two terraces is exposed on both faces, hard to see from either side, and easy for each owner to leave to the other. So the mortar high on the stack weathers to sand, the capping cracks, and old flashing where the stack meets two roofs lifts. Water then runs down the flue or into a chimney breast and shows as damp in a bedroom.
The other failure is between the flues. Slim Victorian flues run side by side in a shared stack with a single brick withe between them, and when that withe cracks, smoke, soot and damp cross over. A fire lit in one house can smell in the other. It is invisible from the room, and it is one of the main reasons a Richmond repair starts with a camera rather than a ladder.
Once the inspection has shown what has failed, we repoint the weathered joints in a mortar that suits old terrace brick, replace spalled bricks to match, rebuild or re-cap the top so water sheds clear, and reseal or replace flashing on the roof side that is yours. Where a withe has cracked or a slim flue has failed, a stainless liner is quoted after the camera has measured it. Work is planned so the neighbour's roof and rooms are left untouched.
Repointing, re-capping, flashing and relining for the shared party-wall stacks and slim flues of Richmond's Victorian terraces, inspected on camera first.
The capping on a shared Richmond stack cracks and lets water into both chimney breasts, and neither owner can see it. We photograph it from above, rebuild or re-cap the top so it sheds water, and match it to the terrace so it does not look like a patch.
One brick of withe separates the two flues in a boundary stack. When it cracks, smoke and damp cross between houses. The camera finds it, and depending on the extent we repoint the withe or quote a stainless liner for your flue after measuring the bore.
A party-wall chimney is flashed to two different roofs at two different heights, and the older flashing lifts on whichever side has moved. We reseal or replace the flashing on your side and work so the neighbouring roof is not disturbed.
Real photos from Melbourne jobs — not stock, not staged.




Damp on a Richmond chimney breast could be capping, flashing or a cracked withe, and only the camera tells which. We inspect and photograph first, then quote a firm price for the specific repair rather than the whole stack.
The photos of the fault come with the quote and the photos of the finished work with the invoice, so you and, if needed, the neighbour can see what was done.
Documented end to end — every job, every suburb.
Camera and photo inspection of the stack, crown, flashing and flue.
We find the real cause — water, movement or heat — and explain it.
A firm price for only what is needed, before any work.
Masonry, crown, flashing or flue work done properly and safely.
Draw and weather-tightness confirmed.
Before and after photos and honest advice on what to watch.
Verified 5-star reviews from across FreshDuct’s duct, heating, cooling and chimney services.
“Allen provided exceptional service — friendly, professional and went above and beyond.”
Verified
“Highly impressed with the professionalism and efficiency. On time, and no mess left behind.”
Verified
“Exceeded my expectations. Knowledgeable, meticulous and respectful of our home.”
Verified
“So glad I chose FreshDuct. Knowledgeable team and the whole process was smooth from start to finish.”
Verified
“Quick, efficient and professional — we could immediately feel the difference.”
Verified
“The technician arrived on time and was incredibly thorough — the difference at home is obvious.”
Verified
The same local team covers the suburbs around Richmond. Explore nearby areas and related FreshDuct chimney services.
On a shared stack it can be either, and the damp usually shows on the lower or more sheltered side regardless of whose flue is leaking. A camera and roof inspection shows whether it is the capping, the flashing on your side or a cracked withe, and we quote the actual fault.
Almost always a cracked withe, the single brick wall between the two flues in a boundary stack. Smoke crosses from their flue into yours. We camera the run to find the crack and either repoint it or, where the flue has failed, quote a stainless liner for your side.
White staining, crumbling mortar, loose or missing bricks, rust marks on the roof, water in the firebox after rain, or smoke seeping into rooms are the usual signs. A photographed inspection tells you what is cosmetic and what is not.
Yes — stainless steel liners for cracked or unlined flues on open fireplaces and wood heaters, quoted firm after a camera inspection. Gas flue work goes through the licensed gas specialists we arrange.
Often, with roof access and harness work. Taller or unstable stacks need scaffold, and we tell you before quoting rather than after.
Send your details and the office confirms a window for Richmond. No call-out fee, before and after photos, and honest advice on what your chimney needs and what it does not.