Our Process
Spalling brick repair on Fern Park homes
Hard mortar next to soft brick
Masonry moves slightly with heat and moisture, and the joints are meant to take that movement. As the National Park Service explains, mortar harder than the brick will not give, so the brick takes the stress instead, and it cracks and spalls in ways that cannot be repaired easily.
An earlier repair made with a hard, cement-rich mortar can be the reason faces break beside the joints. When we see that pattern in Fern Park, the estimate says so, and the replacement mortar is chosen to protect the surrounding brick.
Repointing the joints around the new bricks
It is hard to tell which joints in a damaged area are letting water in. For that reason, BIA maintenance guidance recommends repointing every mortar joint in the damaged section of wall, not just the joints around each replacement brick.
If the joints around the spalled bricks are soft or open, we include repointing of that area as a separate line. You see both prices, and the brick replacement and repointing are finished with the same mortar and profile. Our specialists define the area on the estimate, so the boundary of the work is clear before it starts.
Face brick outside, firebrick inside
The brick on the outside of a chimney is ordinary face brick laid in regular mortar. The brick lining a firebox is firebrick set for heat. Spalling in the firebox has different causes and a different repair.
If your Fern Park fireplace shows cracked or crumbling firebrick along with exterior spalling, we note both during the free inspection and price them separately. Exterior brick replacement never uses firebox materials, and interior repairs never use exterior mortar. Our specialists explain the difference at the free inspection, so each repair is priced for the right material.
When a home inspection notes spalling
Home inspectors often note spalled or cracked chimney brick because it is visible from the ground. The note tells you there is damage, though it rarely says how many bricks are affected or why.
Our team inspects the chimney free and provides a written scope and price that buyers and sellers can both read, including any related moisture repair. If the work has a closing date attached, tell us when you call so it can be planned around it. Our specialists can also explain the findings to the other party if that helps the sale move forward.
