Our Work
The details of a brick replacement in Lake Charm
Choosing the replacement mortar
The Brick Industry Association advises that repair mortar should have a compressive strength equal to or lower than the original, and physical properties similar to the existing mortar. A mortar harder than the old one puts the stress on the edges of the brick, where it can pop the face off.
Its guidance names Type N as generally suited to modern work and Type O where mortars with more cement would be too strong. Our specialists match the mortar to the brick in your chimney and list the type on the written estimate, so you know what is going into the wall.
Loose pieces over walkways and roofs
Spalled faces and loose bricks near the top of a chimney can drop onto the roof, into gutters or onto a walkway below. A falling fragment from roof height can damage shingles or hurt someone.
Keep people away from the area below the chimney until it has been checked, and do not try to pull loose pieces free yourself. Our crew removes unstable material first when we arrive at your Lake Charm home, then carries on with the planned replacement. If the chimney sits over a doorway or a driveway, tell us when you book so our specialists can make that area safe first.
Why we do not skim over spalled faces
It can be tempting to smear mortar, filler or caulk over a spalled brick to make it look whole. The patch covers the damaged unit without replacing it, traps moisture against the weak brick behind it and tends to loosen over time, taking more of the face with it.
We replace the brick instead. On a chimney in Lake Charm that has old face patches, our specialists remove them during the free inspection where they are loose, so you can see the condition underneath before approving the work.
Brushing and cleanup at the end of the job
Once the joints are tooled, excess mortar and dust are brushed from the face. BIA Technical Note 20 recommends a medium-soft bristle or fiber brush and advises against steel bristles, which can leave particles that rust and stain the brick.
Our crew also clears fragments from the roof and gutters, removes the old bricks and leaves the ground below the chimney as we found it. Before we leave your Lake Charm home, we walk you through the repaired faces. Any bricks we reused are accounted for, and spare matched units can be left with you for future repairs if you want them.
