07460 07229724/7 Available info@stormguardroofing.ukWitney · Oxfordshire · Cotswolds Services Service Areas Our WorkReviewsAboutContactGet a Free Quote - Roofers in Witney - Roofing Services - Chimney workRoofing services # Chimney Repairs And FlashingsIn Witney And OxfordshireThat Stop Damp At The Source A stain on a chimney breast is almost never the chimney bricks and almost always the detail around them. We repair stacks, form proper lead flashings and back gutters, and stop water tracking down the wall inside. Get my free fixed-price quote07460 072297 9.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews ## Recent chimney repairs and flashings work - 100+ Five-star Checkatrade reviews - 5 years Workmanship guarantee on repairs - 9.83/10 159 Checkatrade reviews - £5m Public liability insurance - Free Quotes and inspections ## What chimney work covers A chimney stack sits in the middle of the weather. It projects above the roof, it is exposed on all four faces, and the point where it passes through the roof covering has to be weathered with lead. Almost everything that goes wrong with a chimney happens at one of those two places: the masonry above the roof line, or the junction where it meets the roof. Our chimney work covers repairs to the stack itself, the full lead assembly around it, front apron, stepped side flashings with soakers, and a back gutter behind, lead trays where damp is tracking through the masonry, flaunching around the pots, and flue-related weathering work. It also covers taking a redundant stack down to below the roof line and weathering the roof over it properly, where a stack is no longer used and is causing more problems than it is worth. The commonest job by far is replacing a cracked mortar fillet with proper lead. Mortar cannot flex, the junction moves every day with temperature, and the fillet cracks. Repointing it just restarts the clock. ### Who this is for, and when it is needed - Damp staining on a chimney breast Internal staining, sometimes with a tar-like appearance, that comes back after every redecoration. - Cracked mortar fillets at the stack Where the roof meets the chimney and somebody has repointed the joint more than once. - Loose or eroded masonry above the roof Soft bricks, missing pointing, or flaunching around the pots that has broken up. - Leaning or unstable stacks Stacks showing movement, particularly tall ones on exposed Cotswold sites. - Redundant stacks Unused chimneys that are only there to maintain and could be removed and weathered over. ## What a failing chimney does to the inside of the house Water getting into a chimney stack has an easy route into the middle of your house, and no loft to be caught in on the way. ### What it leads to - Damp travels down the chimney breast into the room, ruining plaster and decoration on a wall that is often a focal point. - Soot and tar deposits inside an old flue combine with moisture and bleed through plaster as brown staining that ordinary paint will not cover. - Water in the stack freezes in winter, spalling the face of soft bricks and accelerating the decay every year. - Rot develops in the roof timbers around the stack, where the leak has been running unseen under the covering. - Loose masonry and pots on a tall stack are a genuine safety risk in a storm. - A stack that has started to lean will keep moving, and rebuilding it later costs considerably more than repairing it now. ### Common mistakes - Repointing a cracked mortar fillet instead of replacing it with lead, it will crack again in the same place. - Sealing over a failed flashing with mastic, which buys a season and hides the deterioration underneath. - Treating a chimney breast stain as a plastering job and redecorating over an active leak. - Capping a chimney without any ventilation, which traps moisture inside the flue and produces damp lower down. - Leaving a redundant stack unweathered after removing the pots, so rain goes straight down the flue. We diagnose which of those is happening before quoting, because the stain inside tells you very little about where the water is getting in. How we work ## Our process, start to finish - Step 1 ### Free inspection We examine the stack, the flaunching, the pointing and the whole lead assembly, and identify the actual entry point rather than the visible symptom. - Step 2 ### Diagnosis and fixed-price quote A written quote setting out the masonry work, the lead detail and any tray required. - Step 3 ### Repair the stack Repointing, brick replacement, rebuilding above the roof line where needed, and new flaunching around the pots. - Step 4 ### Form the lead weathering Front apron, stepped side flashings with soakers and a back gutter behind the stack, chased into the joint, wedged and pointed, plus a lead tray where damp is crossing the masonry. - Step 5 ### Verification and handover The detail is checked over, the site cleared, and a before-and-after photographic report issued with your workmanship guarantee. What you get ## The difference it makes - ### The internal staining stops Fixing the entry point ends the cycle of redecorating a wall that keeps getting wet again. - ### Lead instead of mortar A detail that flexes with the building rather than cracking with it, so the repair is measured in decades. - ### Stack stabilised Repointing, brick replacement and new flaunching deal with the masonry as well as the water. - ### Safety at height Loose pots and unstable masonry on a tall stack dealt with by an insured team with £5m public liability. - ### Guaranteed workmanship Repairs carry a 5-year workmanship guarantee; chimney work forming part of a re-roof falls under that roof's longer term. - ### Photographic proof Before-and-after reports show the condition at the top of the stack, which you cannot see from the ground. ## Details, materials and variations ### The full lead assembly Weathering a chimney properly needs four things working together: a front apron across the downslope face, stepped side flashings with soakers tucked under each course of tile or slate, and a back gutter behind the stack where water coming down the roof has to be diverted around it. Miss any one and the stack leaks. Each piece is cut to a length that allows the lead to expand, chased into the mortar joint, wedged and pointed. The back gutter is the piece most often omitted or done badly, and it is the piece under the most water. ### Lead trays and damp through masonry Where the stack itself is saturated, water crosses from the outer face to the inner and comes out on the chimney breast below. A lead tray built into the stack interrupts that path. It is more involved than a flashing repair because it means cutting into the masonry, but it is the only real answer to damp travelling through the brickwork itself. ### Repointing, brick replacement and rebuilding Exposed stacks lose their pointing faster than anything else on the building. Where mortar has eroded, raking out and repointing with an appropriate mix restores the weathering; where individual bricks or stones have spalled, they are cut out and replaced. Where the stack has moved or the masonry is beyond repair, rebuilding above the roof line is the sound option. ### Flaunching, pots and caps The flaunching is the mortar weathering at the top that holds the pots and sheds water off the stack. It cracks and breaks up over time, letting water straight into the top of the masonry. Where a flue is no longer used, a vented cap or cowl keeps rain out while still allowing the flue to breathe, capping without ventilation traps moisture and creates damp lower down. ### Removing a redundant stack A stack that serves nothing can be taken down to below the roof line and the roof covering made good over it. That removes a permanent maintenance liability, and it is often the sensible option on a stack that would otherwise need rebuilding. ### Chimneys on listed and Cotswold stone property Heritage stacks need lime-based mortar and traditional lead detailing, and on a listed property the approach has to satisfy the council's requirements as well as the weather. That is regular work for us across the Cotswolds. ### Residential and commercial The same details apply to larger stacks on estate buildings, pubs and converted properties, where scale and access planning become a bigger part of the job. Questions ## Frequently asked How much does chimney repair cost?It depends on access, the height of the stack, how much masonry work is needed and whether a tray is required as well as flashings. Inspection and quote are free, and the quote is fixed price to the best of our ability. How long does chimney work take?A flashing replacement is often a day or two. Repointing, rebuilding above the roof line or fitting a tray takes longer, and we give you a timescale with the quote. Why is my chimney breast damp inside?Most often it is the lead assembly around the stack, the apron, stepped flashings or back gutter, or a cracked mortar fillet where lead should be. Where damp is crossing the masonry itself, a lead tray is the fix. Can you just repoint the mortar fillet?We would not recommend it. Mortar cannot move with the building, so it cracks again. Replacing it with lead is the permanent solution. Should I remove my unused chimney?It is worth considering. A redundant stack still needs pointing, flaunching and flashings maintained. Taking it down below the roof line and weathering over removes that liability entirely. Do I need a cowl or a cap?On a disused flue, a vented cap keeps rain out while letting the flue breathe. Sealing a flue completely traps moisture and often produces damp further down. What guarantee comes with chimney work?Repair work carries a 5-year workmanship guarantee. Where the chimney work forms part of a new roof, it falls under that roof's guarantee, up to 20 years on a new pitched roof. Is my leaning chimney urgent?A stack showing movement should be looked at promptly, because it will keep moving and because loose masonry at height is a safety risk. We inspect free of charge. Do you work on listed chimneys?Yes. Heritage stacks with lime mortar and traditional lead detailing are regular work for us across the Cotswolds, including meeting the council's requirements on listed property. Which areas do you cover?Witney, Stonesfield, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford, Banbury and across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire including the Cotswolds. Related work ## Other services we handle - ### Roof Leadwork And Flashings Read more - ### Roof Repairs And Leak Tracing Read more - ### Listed Building And Read more - ### Pitched Roof Installation Read moreWe cover Witney, Stonesfield, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford and the wider area. See all roofing services, recent work, or go back to the home page. ## Find out where the water is really getting in Free inspection of the stack and its lead detail, photographs of what we find, and a fixed-price quote to put it right. 07460 0722979.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews · £5,000,000 public liability · Free quotes and inspections Roofing contractor based in Witney, covering Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Pitched and flat roofing, leadwork, and Grade II listed and conservation roofing across the Cotswolds. - 07460 072297 - 01993 898807 - info@stormguardroofing.uk - 24/7 On The Line - 11 Cockshoot Close, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 8ED ### Services - Pitched roofing in Oxfordshire - Flat roofing in Oxfordshire - Felt flat roofs in Oxfordshire - GRP fibreglass in Oxfordshire - EPDM rubber in Oxfordshire - Leadwork in Oxfordshire - Listed & heritage in Oxfordshire - Fascias & guttering in Oxfordshire - Chimney work in Oxfordshire - Roof repairs in Oxfordshire - Emergency call-outs in Oxfordshire ### Areas Covered - Roofers in Witney - Roofers in Stonesfield - Roofers in Woodstock - Roofers in Charlbury - Roofers in Chipping Norton - Roofers in Burford - Roofers in Banbury - Roofers in Stow-on-the-Wold - Roofers in Moreton-in-Marsh - Roofers in Bourton-on-the-Water - Roofers in Chipping Campden - Roofers in Shipston-on-StourGet a Free Quote About Stormguard RoofingRoofing ReviewsRoofing ProjectsContact Our RoofersPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms & Conditions© 2026 Storm Guard Roofing Limited. 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