What's Included

Resetting and repointing stone chimneys in Lake Monroe

Telling natural stone from manufactured veneer

Natural stone is quarried rock, heavy and irregular, often laid as solid masonry. Manufactured stone is a cast concrete product shaped to look like rock and adhered to the chimney as a thin veneer. The broken edge of a loose piece, its weight and shapes that repeat across the face usually tell them apart. The repair method depends on which one you have.

Our stone chimney experts identify the material during a free inspection in Lake Monroe before recommending anything.

How deep old joints come out

Old mortar should come out to at least two to two and a half times the joint's width, according to Park Service repointing guidance, so the new mortar has room to grip. Stone with wide joints may need several inches taken out. Any loose or crumbling mortar beyond that depth comes out too.

Shallow patching over old mortar falls out quickly. Our local stone pros rake joints to the proper depth and write it into your estimate for Lake Monroe.

Mortar softer than the stone

Repointing mortar, in Park Service guidance, should be softer and more permeable than the stone it holds and no harder than the original mortar. When a chimney moves with heat and moisture, a soft joint takes the strain. A hard, cement-rich joint pushes that strain into the stone, which is how edges spall and faces crack.

We choose the mortar for your stone, not the strongest bag on the shelf. Our family-owned team explains the choice to homeowners in Lake Monroe.

Refacing one side of the chimney

When loose units, soft backing and failed joints run across a whole side of the chimney, piecing it together costs more over time than refacing that side. Refacing removes the stone from the affected face, rebuilds the barrier, lath and scratch coat and sets the stone again, reusing sound units where they fit.

We recommend it only when the damage calls for it, and we price both options side by side. Call (645) 465-4122 for a free assessment in Lake Monroe.

A tidy site at the end of each day

Stone repair makes dust, broken pieces and mortar drips around your home. We protect plants, paving and the roof below the work, and any open chimney is covered before we leave each work day. We always clean up and haul the old mortar, broken stone and packaging away with us.

You should not find our mess after we leave. That is part of the 100% satisfaction guarantee on stone chimney repair in Lake Monroe.