Services
Getting chimney masonry right in Whites Landing
How we plan a masonry repair on your Whites Landing chimney, from the first crack to the final joint.
Packing deep joints in thin layers
The Brick Industry Association's maintenance note describes filling deep joints in layers about a quarter inch thick, tooling each one once it is thumbprint hard, instead of packing the whole depth in one pass. Thin layers cure evenly and bond to the layer beneath them.
It takes longer, and it is one of the differences you cannot see on the day the job ends. A joint filled in one heavy pass can shrink away from the brick and open a fine path for water. We build joints up the slower way because a chimney gets no shelter from the weather, and the repair has to hold for many seasons.
Masonry where the chimney meets the roof
Flashing at the roofline is usually tucked into a mortar joint or a slot cut in the brick. When that joint crumbles, the metal loosens and water runs behind it into the chimney, the framing and sometimes the ceiling below.
Masonry work at the roofline is planned together with the flashing, so a sound joint is ready to receive the counterflashing and the roof is protected while we work. If a roofer is also on the job, we agree on who does which part and in what order. Nothing is left open between trades, and each piece of the work appears on the estimate.
Protecting fresh masonry while it cures
New mortar needs time and protection. Brick industry guidance calls for covering the tops of walls and any open work with a waterproof cover at the end of each workday and during stoppages, so rain does not wash out fresh joints before they set.
We cover the work before leaving the roof each day and tell you how long to wait before lighting the fireplace again. Replaced masonry also needs several days of curing before it carries load, so a larger repair may be planned across more than one visit. The schedule is written into your estimate, along with any weather allowance.
