Our Process
How we repair spalled brick in Geneva
What spalling looks like on a chimney
Spalling is the face of a brick breaking away in flakes, chips or whole slabs. The fired outer face of a brick works as its protective skin, and once it is gone, the softer body behind it takes rain directly and wears faster. You may see pitted faces, rounded edges or brick fragments collecting on the roof below the chimney.
A spalled brick is not dangerous in itself, but it is a sign that water is getting into the masonry. Our specialists inspect every face of your Geneva chimney during the free inspection and mark which units have failed and which are still sound.
The crown above the damaged courses
Spalling is often worst in the top few courses, right under the crown. Florida's building code wants every masonry chimney topped with a drip-edged cap of concrete, metal or stone, and that edge is what keeps runoff from soaking the top courses of brick.
A crown without a drip edge, or one that has cracked, sends water straight down the top courses. When we replace bricks near the top of a chimney in Geneva, we check the crown too and tell you whether it needs sealing, repair or replacement. Our specialists also look at the bond break around the flue liner, which the same code section calls for.
Repairs first, then a repellent only if needed
A clear water repellent cannot replace a spalled or cracked brick. The Brick Industry Association says repellents are not recommended in place of removing and replacing bricks with spalled faces or cracks through the face, and suggests letting several months pass after repairs before deciding whether one is needed.
Often the repairs alone solve the moisture problem. If a repellent still makes sense on your Geneva chimney, we explain that it is not permanent and will need reapplying, and we price it as an optional line. Our specialists would sooner see a chimney dry out on its own after repairs than seal moisture in too early.
When the damage is in the flue
Brick pieces falling into the fireplace do not always come from the outside of the chimney. They can come from the inside walls, the smoke chamber or a damaged flue lining, which are separate repairs. Fragments of flue tile or smoke chamber material on the smoke shelf point inside, while pieces on the roof point outside.
Our specialists check where fragments are coming from before proposing work on your Geneva chimney. If the problem is inside the flue, we explain that repair on its own line, so brick replacement on the exterior is not mistaken for a fix for the interior.
