ChimneysChimney Repair & Rebuilds
Cracked crowns and loose tops repaired, with reinforced rebuilds when the brick is past saving.
- Crowns
- Top rebuilds
- Seismic ties
24/7 dispatch · South San Francisco
Steps, Walls & Chimneys in the Fog BeltMasonry and chimney repair for South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno, Colma and Brisbane
South San Francisco climbs the slopes of San Bruno Mountain and Sign Hill. Its neighborhoods are rows of 1940s–60s homes with steep front stairs, block retaining walls and modest brick chimneys, many now venting only a gas water heater. Fog and wind pour in through the gap off the Pacific most afternoons. South San Francisco Masonry & Chimney repairs the steps and walls, makes those old flues safe and dries out fog-soaked brick, from a shop on San Mateo Avenue with 24/7 dispatch.
Masonryfirst
Fluessized right
24/7dispatch
Fog-belt rooftop · South SF
9:41
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South SF Masonry
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North Peninsula texts
Hillside tract homes
Front stairs, planters and block walls
The rowhouse-style homes of South San Francisco, Daly City and Westlake sit above street-level garages, reached by long concrete or brick stairs between planters. On sloped lots, block retaining walls hold up the yards. After 60-plus years many are cracked, leaning or lifting.
SAFETY
Make it safe today
Loose treads, wobbly railings and broken nosings secured first so nobody trips.
CAUSE
Find out why
Tree roots, poor drainage or a settling base usually explain the cracks.
REBUILD
Repair or replace
Steps resurfaced or rebuilt, planters re-laid, block walls reset with drainage behind them.
FINISH
Rails & finish
New railings anchored solidly and surfaces finished for grip in wet fog.
Masonry & chimney services
What our crews handle
For tract homes, flats and small commercial buildings from Brisbane to Millbrae.
Chimneys
LeaksWind-Driven Leak Repair
Flashing and crowns made tight against the wind and rain coming in off the ocean.
- New flashing
- Crown sealing
- Wall leaks
CapsCaps for Windy Rooftops
Heavy stainless caps fastened to stay put in strong afternoon gusts.
- Wind-rated
- Rain shedding
- Animal-proof
ScreensPot Screens & Bird Guards
Screens that keep pigeons and gulls out of open flues.
- Clay pot covers
- Bird guards
- Easy cleaning
InspectFlue Camera Inspections
Video checks for buyers, landlords and anyone replacing a furnace or water heater.
- Sale reports
- Landlord records
- Before appliance swaps
SweepsSweeps & Fireplace Care
Fireplace sweeps, firebrick repair and damper work for foggy-night fires.
- Neat sweeps
- Firebrick
- Dampers
North Peninsula
Between the mountain, the bay and the ocean
San Mateo Avenue sits near the 101 and 380 interchange, so most of the north Peninsula is a short drive. Tap a neighborhood for an estimated time.
Truck toSan Bruno
About6 min
Tap a neighborhood
Call picked up
Truck off San Mateo Ave
Text when nearby
Steps, walls or stack checked
From 1100 San Mateo Ave. Airport and 101 traffic shift these numbers, so the dispatcher gives you a real window.
Small heater, big cold flueCondensing
Liner sized to the heaterDrafting right
Gas appliance venting
The water heater left alone in the chimney
"Orphaned" water heaters
When an old furnace is replaced with a high-efficiency model that vents out the side, the water heater ends up alone in a flue built for two.
Cold flue, wet mortar
A small appliance in a big, cold flue drafts poorly. The exhaust condenses, eating mortar and clay tile, especially in a foggy climate.
Backdrafting risk
Poor draft can spill exhaust, including carbon monoxide, into the house. A working CO alarm near the heater is a must.
Right-sized liner
A properly sized stainless or aluminum liner restores draft and protects the chimney.
Slide it
How these chimneys came back
Each square shows one chimney as we found it and as we left it. Pull the yellow bar left or right, or tab to it and use your arrow keys.
Washed-out mortar, rebuilt solid
Wet wind had washed the mortar out of this stack joint by joint. We rebuilt it from the roofline with steel ties, a sloped crown and a cap.
- Roofline rebuild
- Steel ties
- Crown & cap
Green with fog, now dry
Daily fog kept this chimney damp enough to grow moss and soften the brick. It was rebuilt with a stainless cap and flashing when the house got a new roof.
- Soft brick out
- Stainless cap
- Roof tie-in
Yours still looks like the left half? (650) 952-9900
Fog & wind
Brick that never quite dries
Summer fog and steady wind keep north Peninsula masonry damp much of the year. That moisture shows up as white crust, green growth and crumbling faces.
Efflorescence
That white, powdery crust is salt pulled out of the masonry by moisture. We clean it and fix the water source.
Moss & algae
Growth on shaded faces holds water. We remove it gently and treat the surface.
Spalled brick faces
Wet brick that freezes on rare cold nights, or just stays wet for years, sheds its face. Damaged units get replaced.
Breathable sealing
A vapor-permeable water repellent sheds fog and rain but lets trapped moisture out.
Damp, salty, greenSaturated
Cleaned, repointed, sealedBreathing
Is there someone to talk to after midnight?
There is. Our dispatcher works nights too, so a cap torn loose by wind, a collapsed front step or water entering through the chimney gets a crew arranged. With fire, a gas smell, smoke indoors or a sounding CO alarm, leave right away and dial 911 before calling us.
We replaced our furnace. Does the chimney need work?
Often yes. If the water heater is now alone in the old flue, it may need a smaller liner to vent safely. We check draft and size it properly.
What is the white stuff on my brick?
Efflorescence: salts carried to the surface by moisture. It's a sign water is getting into the masonry. We clean it and stop the water.
Can you fix our front steps?
Yes, from patching cracked treads to fully rebuilding stairs and planters, plus new railings.
Our block retaining wall is leaning. Can it be saved?
Sometimes it can be reset with proper drainage; taller walls may need an engineer. We'll tell you which.
Do you work on small commercial buildings?
Yes, including brick facades and chimneys on older buildings along Grand Avenue and nearby.
Where do you go?
South San Francisco, Westborough, Sunshine Gardens, Daly City, Westlake, Serramonte, Colma, Brisbane, San Bruno, Millbrae, Pacifica and Burlingame.
Neighborhoods
North San Mateo County
From the San Francisco line down to Burlingame.
- South San Francisco
- Westborough
- Sunshine Gardens
- Daly City
- Westlake
- Serramonte
- Colma
- Brisbane
- San Bruno
- Millbrae
- Pacifica
- Burlingame
Steps, walls, flues or fog damage? One call.
South San Francisco Masonry & Chimney answers dispatch calls at every hour of every day.
(650) 952-9900 Call South SF Masonry
South San Francisco Masonry & Chimney
1100 San Mateo Ave unit 102
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 952-9900
Open directions →
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 952-9900
Open directions →
| Sun | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Mon | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Tue | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Wed | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Thu | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Fri | Calls answered 24/7 |
| Sat | Calls answered 24/7 |