Chimney Services

Chimney mortar repair in Lake Monroe, in detail

How worn chimney joints are found

Visual observation and light scraping with a metal tool are the usual ways to find joints that need repointing. Sound mortar resists the tool. Mortar that has lost its bond powders, flakes or lifts out in pieces, and a joint can look intact from the ground while the mortar behind its surface has turned to sand.

Our pros check the joints up close from the roof and from the ground, because the top of a chimney and its lower courses can wear at different rates. The result is a map of the joints that need work, described on the estimate by face and area instead of as a vague allowance.

Cleaning brick after repointing

New joints stay vulnerable for a while after they look finished. The Park Service brief says fresh mortar does not fully cure for several months, that it should be fully hardened before a repointed wall is cleaned, usually after about thirty days, and that metal bristle brushes should not be used on historic masonry.

We brush excess mortar off the brick as the joints are tooled, so a separate cleaning step is rarely needed afterwards. If other cleaning is planned for the chimney, tell us, and we will schedule it so the new joints are not harmed.

Plant growth rooted in chimney joints

Some plant growth carries moisture into voids in the mortar, according to Brick Industry Association maintenance guidance, which advises cutting vines carefully away from the wall instead of pulling them, which can damage the brickwork, and letting the embedded shoots dry before brushing them off.

A seedling rooted in a joint high on a chimney usually means the mortar there is soft and holding water. We remove the growth, rake the joint back to sound mortar and repoint it, and we check the joints around it that have been kept damp.

Booking chimney tuckpointing

Tuckpointing is planned work, and it begins with a free inspection where the joints are assessed, the mortar is chosen and the area is measured. The repointing itself is then scheduled for suitable weather, and larger areas can take more than one day.

An inspection the same day is possible when the schedule allows, and the written estimate is in your hands before any cutting starts. Confirm the work with our family-owned team within 72 hours of the inspection and it is 10% off.