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The mortar high on an Essendon stack has weathered for a century, and the flashing below it has usually been patched more than once. FreshDuct repoints to match the home, replaces spalled brick, rebuilds crowns and replaces flashing, quoted after photographs.
Flashing on an Essendon chimney already tarred over twice? A third patch will not hold; a proper replacement will.
Essendon's Edwardian villas and interwar homes were built with substantial brick chimneys, and the brick itself is usually fine. It is the mortar and the metalwork that have run out of life. High on the stack, where the weather hits from every side, the joints have fretted back from the face; the crown has cracked along its length; and the flashing, more often than not, carries the evidence of previous owners' attempts to seal it with whatever was in the shed.
Those patched flashings are the most common leak we find in the suburb. Bitumen over rusted galvanised steel holds for a season, then cracks, and the water it was holding back runs down the stack into the ceiling above a bedroom. The symptom appears indoors; the cause is on the roof, and it is almost never the flue itself. That is why every Essendon repair begins with photographs of the stack, crown, flashing and joints.
The repair is matched to the house. Joints are raked and repointed in a mortar toned to the original and struck to the same profile, so the work does not read as a patch from the footpath. Spalled bricks are cut out and replaced with matching salvage rather than rendered over. Crowns are rebuilt to shed water, and flashing is replaced outright in a material that will not need tarring again.
Repointing, brick replacement, crown rebuilds and flashing replacement for period Essendon chimneys, matched to the original and photographed before and after.
An Edwardian or interwar chimney is part of the streetscape. We match mortar colour and joint profile to the original and repoint whole courses, so the finished work does not stand out from the brickwork below it.
Tar over old galvanised flashing is the usual Essendon fix, and the usual Essendon leak. We strip it, replace the flashing in a material that resists corrosion, and dress it into the mortar properly so it does not need doing again.
The crown and the last few courses take the worst of the weather on a tall stack. We rebuild a cracked crown to throw water clear and repoint the courses beneath it, which is where most period leaks begin.
Real photos from Melbourne jobs — not stock, not staged.
A damp stain beside an Essendon chimney breast is nearly always crown, mortar or flashing. We inspect all three, photograph what has failed, and quote only that, so a flashing job is not sold as a rebuild.
The finished repair is photographed from the roof, so you can see matched joints, a sound crown and new flashing without climbing a ladder, and keep the photos for the house file.
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.”
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“So glad I chose FreshDuct. Knowledgeable team and the whole process was smooth from start to finish.”
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“Quick, efficient and professional — we could immediately feel the difference.”
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“The technician arrived on time and was incredibly thorough — the difference at home is obvious.”
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The same local team covers the suburbs around Essendon. Explore nearby areas and related FreshDuct chimney services.
Not usually. The stack is most likely sound and the water is coming in at the crown, the top courses or the flashing, then running down inside the brickwork. A photographed inspection shows which, and the fix is a targeted repair rather than a rebuild in nearly every case.
It should not, if it is done properly. We tone the mortar to the original colour and strike the joints to the existing profile, and we repoint whole courses rather than dabbing individual joints, so the finished stack reads as one chimney from the street.
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 Essendon. No call-out fee, before and after photos, and honest advice on what your chimney needs and what it does not.
