The hearth in front of our fireplace has cracked. Could that be connected to the chimney outside?

It can be, where the hearth sits on the same foundation as the stack and the stack has settled. A hairline crack across a hearth extension may be nothing more than shrinkage. A crack with one side lower than the other, or a gap opening between the hearth and the firebox, is a different matter. If the gap is wide enough to see into, do not use the fireplace, because embers can reach the floor framing through it.

Can the gap between the chimney and the wall just be caulked?

Not until you know whether it is still moving. Caulk over an active gap hides the movement without stopping it, and the bead tears again within a season or two. Marking the ends of the gap with a pencil and a date, then checking after a few months, shows whether it is growing. If it is stable and the stack is sound, sealing the joint is a reasonable small repair; if it is growing, the chimney needs assessing first.

Chimney cap fitted over a flue at the top of a masonry chimney

Los Angeles County

Chimney & Fireplace Services in West Covina

Local information for West Covina, CA — what the climate and the housing stock here do to a chimney, and the services that deal with it.

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West Covina, CA

Chimney service in West Covina

This page is for West Covina homeowners. It starts with the question an exterior brick chimney raises most often, whether the stack and the house are still moving together, and then covers the service pages that follow from the answer.

What West Covina does to a chimney

Where a West Covina house has an exterior brick chimney, the stack stands on a footing of its own and weighs far more than the wall beside it, so the two respond differently to settling ground and to shaking. The first sign that they have parted is often a tapering gap where the brick meets the siding, wider at the top than at the bottom. A stack leaning away also pulls open the flashing where it passes the eaves, and inland summer heat and winter rain then work on that opening. Earthquake Country Alliance notes that inadequately braced chimneys are a common problem and advises having one assessed by a professional.

West Covina homes and what it means for the chimney

Where a West Covina house is single-story with an exterior brick chimney, the stack is often tall relative to the house and exposed on three sides, which is where crown cracks and open joints show first. Where a patio cover, room addition or new siding has since been built up against the stack, it can hide a gap and hold water against the brick. The side of the chimney that is hardest to see is often the one worth checking.

West Covina sits in the San Gabriel Valley, where the dominant chimney risk is long burn season + foothill wind exposure.

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Chimney and fireplace service topics

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What this site covers

Chimney & fireplace services
Los Angeles County Service Areas
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What this site covers

Chimney & fireplace services
Los Angeles County Service Areas
Estimate requests online

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Common questions

West Covina questions

It can be. A gap that is wider at the top than at the bottom means the stack is leaning away rather than just shrinking, and a leaning stack should not have a fire lit in it. Keep people away from that side of the house if bricks are loose. Depending on what is moving, the fix may be ties or bracing back to the framing, rebuilding the upper section, or work at the footing, and the City of West Covina decides what permits that needs.

More chimney and fireplace questions are answered on the main FAQ page.

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Chimney and fireplace questions in West Covina

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