Chimney Problems Common in Older Yonkers Homes
Many Yonkers homes were built in the early-to-mid 1900s, and their chimneys have been working ever since. Decades of use, freeze-thaw damage, and deferred maintenance take a serious toll. Whether your chimney serves a wood-burning fireplace, a gas furnace, or an oil-fired boiler, it needs regular professional attention to stay safe and functional. Kaon Roofs provides certified chimney service in Yonkers, NY, from our Mount Vernon office just minutes from your door. Our CSIA-certified technicians handle everything from annual cleanings to full chimney rebuilds.
Yonkers has one of the oldest housing stocks in Westchester County. Pre-war homes in neighborhoods like Park Hill, Ludlow, and Nodine Hill often have original brick chimneys that have never been relined. Over time, the clay tile liners inside these chimneys crack and deteriorate. This allows heat and gases to reach the surrounding wood framing — a hidden fire hazard that most homeowners never see from the outside.
Multi-family buildings along McLean Avenue, South Broadway, and the Getty Square area face different challenges. Many of these properties have chimneys that vent gas-fired boilers or furnaces. When a high-efficiency gas appliance vents through an older, oversized chimney flue, condensation forms inside the liner. That moisture mixes with flue gases to create a mild acid that eats away at the mortar and liner from the inside. The chimney may look fine externally while actively deteriorating within.
Brick spalling is another issue we see throughout Yonkers. Water enters small cracks in the mortar, freezes during winter, and expands. Over several seasons, this breaks bricks apart and loosens mortar joints. Without early intervention, it leads to structural failure that requires a full rebuild rather than a simple repair.
