Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
Chester Derry of Olympia dismantles the damaged chimney at his home on 18th Avenue Southeast on Monday.

Quake sends chimneys tumbling

Masons can't keep up with repair calls

SARAH JACKSON, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- Post-earthquake South Sound has acquired its own set of miniature Leaning Towers of Pisa.

Wednesday's earthquake left hundreds of chimneys leaning left and right -- some with bricks shuffling every which way.

Owners and masons are tearing down crumbling brick-and-mortar hazards.

Homeowners also face less obvious problems, such as interior damage and fire hazards.

Taking them down

After coming home to a notice from the city of Olympia, homeowner Chester Derry climbed onto the roof of his home on 18th Avenue to dismantle a furnace chimney.

"Actually, the top is still solid. A couple of bricks come out of the bottom," Derry said while taking a break from his work with a mason's hammer. "It's coming apart, piece by piece."

The city's message -- duct-taped to Derry's mailbox -- read: "Chimney damage; further collapse could result in structural damage to roof and injury ... this chimney must be demolished in three days."

South Capitol homes have a bumper crop of crumbling chimneys.

Busy masons are scrambling to inspect chimneys and offer temporary fixes to restore safety.

A weary Karey Myer has taken calls for her husband's company, Shelton-based Richard Myer Masonry, since the quake.

"It's crazy -- tons of calls," Myer said Monday.

Myer's business already had a three-month wait before the quake struck.

"The same day it happened, (the calls) started," Myer said. "There's so many of them, you can't possibly do all of them. I think what needs to be done is they need to be made safe."

Myer said there were 46 new calls on her phone machine on one day last week, and the list of job offers is growing, especially in Olympia, where the Myers do most of their business.

"I can't hardly think, I'm so numb from answering the phone," Myer said. "There aren't enough masons."

Mason Richard Myer said it could take at least two years before all residents get their chimneys inspected, repaired or rebuilt.

"We're so swamped, we're not going to be able to do any reconstruction for a while," Richard Myer said. "I've seen well over 100 that should come down or need to come down. It's going to be a long process. (Homeowners) have no idea what they're in for."

Richard Myer worries about chimneys that don't show any evidence of damage or shifting.

Myer recommended inspecting any visible areas of the chimney.

One chimney Myer inspected looked fine until he surveyed the attic -- where three rows of bricks had fallen out.

"It's scary," Myer said. "It's risky business. The nightmare is, as a mason, I can't guarantee. There's no way to tell whether the chimney is damaged inside."

A camera system might work, Myer said, but that's not something he has in his truck.

"We've never encountered this before," Myer said. "Anything out of sight is questionable."

Long waits ahead

Al Johnson of Shelton is preparing for major work on his chimney.

The earthquake jolted two tons of stone chimney into his outdoor hot tub, where the rubble still rests.

"It's ruined," Johnson said of the tub. "There isn't a lot of room for folks."

Now Johnson will wait, like many others, for further word from his mason.

Many jumbled chimneys will probably require more labor than materials because most of the displaced bricks will be reusable, said Gary Rust, residential sales manager for Mutual Materials Co. in Tumwater.

So far, 16 to 18 people have carried bricks into his store, looking for ones that will match, Rust said.

Rust said he's also received a lot of calls from people who are looking for masonry contractors.

Nearly all the chimneys that collapsed were not reinforced with rebar or steel mesh, Rust said.

Masons' estimates range from $200 for tearing down a chimney to as much as $2,000 for reconstruction with steel rebar.

Doug DeForest, executive director for Olympia Master Builders, said there's a shortage of masons in South Sound.

Many masons were already busy with new home construction and large commercial projects before the quake hit.

Myer is trying to fit in chimney repair during evenings and weekends.

"I took two down Saturday -- it was slow going," Myer said. "I've looked at so many of them that I'm dizzy."

Tips for chimney repair

- Be wary of contractors soliciting business door-to-door.

- Ask the contractor for a registration number. All Washington contractors are required to register with the state Department of Labor and Industries.

- When calling L&I, request proof that a contractor is bonded and insured.

- Get at least three different bids to make sure you aren't being gouged.

- Obtain a written contract and request references.

- Be suspicious of contractors who ask for large payments before work begins.

- To find out information about a contractor, call the Department of Labor and Industries at (800) 647-0982 or visit www.lni.wa.gov/scs contractors.

Staying safe

Do not park or walk under an unstable -- or possibly unstable -- chimney, even if the building has been green-tagged.

Have an inspector look at any cracks in a fireplace and chimney. If the framing of a home comes in contact with the masonry anywhere in the chimney, there could be a fire hazard. Beware of hairline cracks, missing bricks and mortar or other signs of a shift. All cracks should be inspected for signs of fire hazard or structural damage.

If you are working on your own chimney, steer clear of bits of brick and old mortar on the roof, which could make the surface sandy and slippery. Longtime mason Scott Davidson of Davidson Masonry and Construction of Olympia said masons use elaborate scaffolding to avoid falls. "You can't just stand on the roof and work on them."

The Olympian Copyright 2000

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