Our Process

How chimney joints are repointed in Alderene Park

Cleaning each joint before new mortar goes in

Dust and loose grit left in a joint sit between the old masonry and the new mortar and weaken the bond. Technical Note 46 asks for all dust and debris to be removed by brushing, oil-free compressed air or rinsing, and for taking thin slivers of old mortar off the brick so the new mortar bonds to clean surfaces.

The Park Service brief adds that the cut should leave square corners at the back of the joint. Those details are slow and invisible afterwards, which is exactly why they are worth asking about. On your Alderene Park chimney they are part of the scope we describe before any work is approved.

Packing chimney joints in thin layers

Deep joints are filled in stages. Technical Note 46 calls for packing the mortar tightly in layers no more than 1/4 inch thick, and the Park Service brief explains that each layer is left to reach thumbprint hardness before the next goes on, because most mortar shrinkage happens while it hardens.

Layering keeps shrinkage in each thin lift instead of in one thick plug that pulls away from the brick. The brief also says that where old mortar comes out deeper than about an inch, those deep pockets get filled first. Our specialists follow that sequence so the finished joint is solid from back to face.

When the brick itself has failed

Repointing renews mortar. It does not repair a brick whose face has flaked away or cracked through. Technical Note 46 treats replacement of heavily spalled or broken brick as a separate procedure, with the damaged units cut out and new brick set in fully buttered mortar joints.

On many chimneys both repairs are needed side by side. Our estimate lists joint repointing and brick replacement as separate lines, with the number of bricks and the joint area described, so you can see what each part of the work covers and why it is included.

Scheduling repointing around storm season

Atlantic hurricane season covers June 1 through November 30 each year. Wind-driven rain pushes water into any joint that has opened, and a chimney with failed mortar takes that water into the brick and toward the house.

Booking the free inspection early in the year leaves time to repoint before the season, when the schedule and the weather both allow. Repointing booked within 72 hours of that inspection is 10% off.