Our Services
Our approach to chimney brickwork in Woodruff Springs
The findings that set the method and the price of chimney masonry work in Woodruff Springs.
Why stronger mortar can harm old brick
Using the hardest mortar available sounds sensible, but guidance from the National Park Service and the Brick Industry Association points the other way. Repair mortar should be softer and more vapor permeable than the bricks it joins, and no harder than the mortar already in the wall.
Hard, dense mortar leaves moisture and stress nowhere to go except into the brick faces, which can crack or pop off at the edges. Keeping the joint as the weaker part of the wall means future wear shows up in mortar, which is far easier and cheaper to renew than brick. Our masons match the mix to the chimney for that reason.
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.
Roof, yard and plants covered while we work
Brick and mortar work produces dust, chips and broken material. We protect the roof around the chimney, set up a clean route for materials and cover plants, paths and outdoor furniture below the work area before anything is cut.
Tell us about anything fragile near the chimney, such as a screened enclosure, a garden bed or a skylight, when you book. Loose debris is cleared at the end of each day, and at the end of the job we walk the area with you so you can see the finished masonry and a clean yard. That walk-through is included in every job.
