Tilting Chimney

Tilting, Leaning Chimneys Near Amherst, Windham, Bedford

A home with a previous chimney problem.

A full masonry chimney can weigh tens of thousands of pounds. If your chimney's foundation (or the soils underneath that foundation) are unable to support the weight of the chimney, it will begin to tilt.

Is your chimney or smokestack tilting and separating from your home? This could be a sign of a serious foundation problem that needs to be repaired. At Erickson Foundation Solutions, we specialize in providing high-quality foundation repair solutions for all types of foundation problems.

If you have a leaning or tilting chimney, cracks where the chimney foundation meets the home foundation, damage to the roof where flashing meets the chimney, or gaps between the chimney and home walls that have been filled in with mortar, foam, or caulk, we can provide you with a permanent chimney repair solution.

Call us today at 1-201-470-6438 or click below to get a free estimate on chimney repair for your home. We offer all our foundation repair services in Windham, Bedford, Amherst and nearby areas in New Hampshire & Massachusetts.

Before and After
  • Auxiliary Wall Installation, Arlington, MA
    Before
    Auxiliary Wall Installation, Arlington, MA
    After

    Auxiliary Wall Installation, Arlington, MA

    A homeowner in Arlington, Massachusetts, had concerns with the chimney and wall of their 100+-year-old home. The homeowners have lived in their home for 20+ years and over the past five years, they noticed chimney movement and water entering from their garage foundation wall. They decided to call EFS for a free inspection. Our design specialist recommended installing Helical Piers to add stability to the chimney and the wall and then installing an Auxiliary Wall to the wall that the chimney was leaning on to add support to that wall. 

    Our production team installed 4 Helical Piers to the foundation wall and then installed an Auxiliary wall to the foundation wall to stabilize the chimney.

  • Settlement of Chimney, Arlington, MA
    Before
    Settlement of Chimney, Arlington, MA
    After

    Settlement of Chimney, Arlington, MA

    A homeowner in Arlington, Massachusetts, had concerns with the chimney and wall of their 100+-year-old home. The homeowners have lived in their home for 20+ years and over the past five years, they noticed chimney movement and water entering from their garage foundation wall. They decided to call EFS for a free inspection. Our design specialist recommended installing Helical Piers to add stability to the chimney. 

    Our production team installed Helical Piers and a footing to the chimney to prevent it from settling any more. 

  • Tilting Chimney Repair, Malden, MA
    Before
    Tilting Chimney Repair, Malden, MA
    After

    Tilting Chimney Repair, Malden, MA

    This homeowner in Malden Massachusetts had a problem where their chimney had started tilting away from their home due to poor soil conditions beneath it. They hired our Erickson Foundation Supportworks team to install push-piers to rectify the issue.

    Michael Biedrzycki was the design specialist that came out to the home and took a look at the chimney. He proposed push-piers to support the footing of the chimney and to straighten it as well. Jon Provost was the crew lead on this project. He and his team installed the piers and permanently stabilized it's footing.

Repairing tilting chimney problems

A tilting chimney in Salem showing serious foundation damage.
a repaired chimney in Salem that had shown serious foundation damage and was repaired with a helical pier system.

(Top) A chimney is tilting away from the home foundation by about 1".

(Bottom) The chimney repaired with a helical pier system, used in conjunction with a push pier foundation repair on the main house foundation.

One of the most shocking and dramatic signs of settlement is a chimney separating away from the rest of the home. We will be able to assess the damage and identify the cause and extent of the problem. Because this is often one symptom of a potentially serious foundation issue, we recommend checking the rest of the house for problems as well.

Why do chimneys lean?

  • Chimneys sometimes have a missing or inadequate chimney footing. When this occurs, your chimney has not been designed with the proper structural support, and it will fail over time.
  • Chimneys experience tilting problems most commonly when the structure has been built on poor supporting soils. If the soils supporting your chimney are not sufficient to hold its weight, the chimney may begin to sink, causing it to separate from the rest of the home and tilt outward.

Installing helical piers for chimney repair

At Erickson Foundation Solutions, we recommend stabilizing a tilting chimney with a helical pier system. These foundation piers include a helical blade that allows the piers to be driven (or "screwed") deep into the ground to stronger supporting soils.

Once driven into the ground, a bracket is attached to the helical pier and mounted on the footing of your chimney's foundation. Once installed, the helical pier can even be used to attempt to return your chimney to its original position.

A word of warning

Filling in the void between your house and chimney is not the answer! Many homeowners will have the void filled with masonry, foam, caulk, or some other material. This is a temporary fix only -- and it'll have to be removed when the real repair is done.

It's also important to note that structural issues with your chimney are often connected to other, potentially much more serious foundation problems. The same problems that caused your chimney to lean and show signs of failure can apply equally to your foundation or structure. We can help you identify and repair any other foundation issues.

We can repair your tilting chimney in New Hampshire & Massachusetts!

At Erickson Foundation Solutions, we specialize in foundation repairs of all kinds, including those related to tilting, leaning chimneys. Our warrantied solution will quickly and permanently solve your foundation issue.

We provide free, written foundation repair estimates to homeowners throughout our service area. Each estimate is made in person, on site, and comes with no obligation to you. Our service area includes Bedford, Windham, Amherst, Hollis, Nashua, Manchester, Litchfield, Bow, Stratham, Cambridge and nearby in New Hampshire & Massachusetts. Call or e-mail us today to schedule your appointment!

Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.

our service area

We serve the following areas

Massachusetts
  • Athol
  • Auburn
  • Baldwinville
  • Barre
  • Brookfield
  • Charlestown
  • Charlton
  • Charlton City
  • Charlton Depot
  • Cherry Valley
  • Dudley
  • East Brookfield
  • East Templeton
  • Fiskdale
  • Gardner
  • Gilbertville
  • Hardwick
  • Hopkinton
  • Hubbardston
  • Jefferson
  • Leicester
  • New Braintree
  • North Brookfield
  • North Oxford
  • Oakham
  • Oxford
  • Paxton
  • Petersham
  • Rochdale
  • Royalston
  • Rutland
  • South Barre
  • Southbridge
  • Spencer
  • Sturbridge
  • Templeton
  • Warren
  • Webster
  • West Brookfield
  • West Warren
  • Westminster
  • Wheelwright
  • Winchendon
Rhode Island
  • Ashaway
  • Bradford
  • Greene
  • Hope Valley
  • Rockville
  • Westerly
  • Wood River Junction
Our Locations:

Erickson Foundation Solutions
14 Clement Rd
Hudson, NH 03051
1-603-263-4404
Erickson Foundation Solutions Service Area