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Nigel and Gina Easterbrook
20 February 2025
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your fantastic service. Highly highly recommend to all. Nigel and Gina Easterbrook.
Reflashing, Reflues & Removals
Reflashing, Reflues & Removals — Tauranga, Bay of Plenty
Water getting in where it shouldn't, a flue that's past its safe working life, or a fire that needs to come out cleanly — all three jobs look straightforward until someone does them wrong. A poor reflash leaks again within a season. A flue liner left too long becomes a safety issue. A removal done carelessly leaves a compromised structure and an open penetration. We do all three properly, the first time.
Reflashing
Stopping the Leak at the Source
If water is getting into your home around the chimney, the flashing is almost always where it starts. Flashing is the weatherproof seal between your chimney or flue and the roof — and when it fails, water tracks down into ceiling cavities, wall linings, and building materials long before it shows up as a stain on the ceiling. By the time you notice it inside, it's usually been going on for a while.
We carry out chimney reflashing across Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty — assessing the existing seal, removing failed or deteriorated flashing, and installing a properly fitted replacement that seals the penetration correctly against the roof profile. Whether it's a metal flue through a tiled roof, a masonry chimney on an older property, or a twin-wall system through a modern build, the standard is the same: watertight and built to last.
Signs your flashing needs attention:
- Damp patches on ceilings or walls near the chimney
- Water inside the firebox after rain
- Visible rust staining or lifting around the flue penetration on the roof
- A previous repair that held for a season and then started again
If you've had a roofer tell you it's not the roof — it's probably the flashing.
Reflues
When the Liner Needs to Come Out and Start Again
A flue liner doesn't last forever. Stainless steel twin-wall systems have a service life, and older installations — particularly clay-lined masonry chimneys or single-skin flue runs — can deteriorate to the point where they're no longer safe or efficient to operate. Cracks, corrosion, failed joints, and creosote buildup in a compromised liner aren't just a performance problem. They're a fire risk and a carbon monoxide risk.
A reflue is the process of removing the existing liner or flue system and replacing it with a new one installed to current standards. We carry out reflues across Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty for both wood and gas fires — replacing like-for-like where the existing route is sound, or rerouting where it isn't.
Common reasons for a reflue:
- A liner that's cracked, corroded, or has failed at the joints
- An existing flue that doesn't meet current clearance or insulation requirements
- Upgrading from a single-skin to a fully insulated twin-wall system
- Replacing a clay-lined masonry chimney with a stainless steel liner
- A change of appliance that requires a different flue diameter or specification
We'll inspect the existing system first and give you an honest assessment of whether it can be remediated or whether a full reflue is the right call. If it needs to come out, we'll spec the replacement correctly and install it to manufacturer and building code requirements.
Removals
Out Clean, Nothing Left Behind
Sometimes a fire needs to come out. Renovation, reconfiguration, a buyer who doesn't want it, an installation that was never right to begin with — the reasons vary. What doesn't vary is that a fireplace removal done without the right knowledge creates more problems than it solves.
We carry out full fireplace removals including disconnection of the flue system, safe removal of the firebox, and proper termination of the flue penetration so the structure is left sound and weathertight. If there's a hearth that needs to go with it, we handle that too. The goal is a clean finish — not a hole in the wall and an open flue collar someone's taped over.
What a proper removal covers:
- Safe disconnection and removal of the firebox and all flue components
- Capping or closing the flue penetration correctly
- Making good the wall, floor, or ceiling where components have been removed
- Leaving the space ready for whatever's going in next
Weathertight Finish
Reflashing After a Removal or Reflue
Whether a flue is being replaced or removed entirely, the roof penetration needs to be dealt with properly — not just capped at the collar and left. On a reflue we reflash around the new liner to ensure a clean weathertight seal with the new system. On a full removal we close the penetration from roof level, patch to match the existing roof profile where possible, and make sure what was an entry point for water is sealed permanently.
If roof work is part of the job, we coordinate it so nothing gets missed in the handoff between trades.
Not Sure?
Not Sure What You Need?
Water ingress around a chimney can come from more than one place — failed flashing, a cracked or deteriorated liner, open joints in masonry, or a combination. If you're chasing a problem and getting different answers from different people, get us out to look at it. We'll identify what's actually going on, tell you what needs to happen, and give you a straight quote for the work.
Get in touch and we'll take it from there.
Chasing a Leak?
Book a reflashing, reflue or removal
Servicing Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty. We'll identify what's actually going on and give you a straight quote.