Chimney Repair
Inside a chimney leak repair
It starts with the leak inspection, and 10% comes off work booked within 72 hours of it.
Open mortar joints
Mortar joints wear faster than the brick around them. Once they open, rain moves into the wall with every storm and comes out inside as dampness or stains.
Repointing removes the loose mortar to a sound depth and packs the joint with new mortar. The National Park Service advises that new mortar be softer and more vapor permeable than the brick, so the joints keep taking the wear instead of the brick faces. The mortar we use is chosen for your chimney's brick, never simply the strongest mix we could buy.
Brick faces that have flaked away
Brick that stays wet can lose its hard outer face. Once that face is gone, the softer core absorbs even more water and breaks down faster.
We cut out badly damaged units and replace them with brick matched as closely as we can in size and color. Repair comes before any water repellent, since a treatment cannot restore missing material. The estimate lists the number of faces affected and the work planned for each, so the scope is clear before we begin.
A temporary cover until repair day
When a crown is broken or a cap is missing and the permanent repair cannot start at once, a temporary cover over the flue top can stop the water in the meantime.
The cover is fastened to hold in wind and comes off cleanly when the permanent repair begins. The fireplace stays out of use while it is on, because it closes the flue. It is priced as its own item, separate from the repair, and our 24/7 line can help arrange it when water is coming in.
Where sealant helps and where it does not
Sealant has a place in chimney work, at the bond break around the flue tile and along the top edge of counterflashing. Used as a patch over failed flashing or a broken crown, it holds only briefly.
Old sealant patches get special attention during the inspection because they often mark where an earlier leak was found. Where a patch is covering a failed part, the part itself is repaired. That is how a leak repair stays repaired after the next few storms.
