Our Process
How chimney joints are repointed in Cameron City
Raking chimney joints to a sound depth
Old mortar has to come out deep enough for the new mortar to hold. Brick Industry Association Technical Note 46 has joints raked to an even depth of at least twice their width, usually about 3/4 inch, or deeper where needed to reach sound mortar. The National Park Service repointing brief gives a similar rule of 2 to 2 1/2 times the joint width.
Depth is the part of tuckpointing a homeowner never sees once the job is finished. A shallow cut leaves a thin skin of new mortar sitting on weak old mortar, and that skin can pop out. Our crew cuts every joint in the agreed area back to sound material, so the repair on your Cameron City chimney is locked into the wall.
Repointing an affected area, not scattered joints
Picking out only the worst joints can leave the next weakest ones letting water in. Technical Note 46 notes that it may be difficult to tell which joints allow moisture through and advises repointing all the mortar joints in the affected wall area.
That does not mean the whole chimney every time. Our specialists define the affected area on each face, show you where it starts and stops, and price it that way. If a face is sound apart from a few joints, we say so and price the smaller repair.
A damp patch indoors, traced to the joints
A stain on the wall or ceiling beside the chimney can come from open joints, a failed crown, loose flashing or a missing cap. Repainting the stain changes nothing until the entry point is found and repaired.
During the free inspection our specialists follow the water back from the stain to its likely source. If failed mortar is the path, the joints involved are marked for repointing. If the water is coming in somewhere else, you get that answer instead, with the right repair on the estimate.
Softer mortar for older brick
Early masonry mortars were mostly lime, with little or no portland cement, and had lower strength. Technical Note 8B concludes that repairing older masonry will likely call for a weaker mortar than new construction, noting that Type O is often used to repoint older brickwork while Type N may suit newer brickwork.
The principle holds at any age. The new joint should be the part that gives, rather than the brick. Our specialists match the mix to your chimney's brick and existing mortar, whatever year it was built, and explain the choice before work begins.
