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Chimney masonry repair explained for Slavia
Questions every homeowner in Slavia should have answered before masonry work starts.
Taking out a damaged brick without harming the rest
When a brick has split or lost its face, it has to come out cleanly. Brick industry guidance suggests breaking the damaged unit to ease removal, then cutting the surrounding mortar away carefully so the bricks beside it stay sound and undisturbed.
The opening is cleared of dust, the surrounding brick is dampened so it does not pull water from the fresh mortar too quickly, and both the new unit and the edges of the opening are fully buttered before the brick is set. Full joints on every side keep the replaced brick from becoming the next place water gets in.
Finding brick that suits your chimney
Size comes first, since a replacement that is slightly too tall or too long throws the courses out of line. Color and texture follow. Brick industry guidance recommends judging replacement brick against the existing work with sample panels or mock-ups before the full job starts.
Where part of a chimney comes down, sound bricks that come off whole can sometimes be cleaned and reused in the same wall. Weathered brick and new brick rarely look identical on the first day, and we tell you that up front. You see and approve the match before we set a single unit, so there are no surprises when the scaffold comes down.
Loose brick near the top of the stack
The courses just under the crown take the hardest weather on a chimney, and they tend to loosen before the rest. When a brick rocks under your hand, or mortar has washed out around the top rows, the masonry there no longer holds together as one piece.
Our masons take loose top courses down to firm masonry and relay them in fresh mortar, then renew the crown that sits on them. When the loose area runs deep enough that relaying no longer makes sense, we explain why a rebuild would serve you better. Please do not pull at loose bricks on the roof yourself; keep people clear below and call us.
