Chimney Repairs

Flaking or spalled brick, crumbling or recessed mortar joints, a cracked chimney crown, white chalky staining on the brick, a visible lean or a gap where the chimney meets the house, and rust on the damper or water in the firebox. Inside, smoke that will not draw and a damp or musty smell from the fireplace are also signs. Any of these call for an inspection before the next burning season.

Tuckpointing, also called repointing, is the process of grinding out failed mortar from the joints between bricks and packing in new mortar matched to the original. It restores the joints that shed water and hold the brick in place, and done on time it prevents the brick damage that leads to a rebuild.

Mostly thermal cycling. Every fire expands the firebrick and refractory mortar and every cooldown contracts them, and after enough cycles the joints fail. Water from a leaking crown, cap or flashing speeds it up as it freezes, burning trash or unseasoned wood creates extreme heat, house settling adds stress, and standard mortar used in place of refractory mortar fails quickly under direct flame.

Usually, yes. Hairline cracks in mortar joints are raked out and repacked with refractory mortar rated for firebox temperatures. Cracked or crumbling firebrick is replaced individually. In a factory-built fireplace, a cracked refractory panel is replaced as a unit. A firebox with widespread failure is rebuilt.

Hairline surface cracks in the firebrick or mortar are common and usually not dangerous. Stop using the fireplace if a crack is wider than about a quarter inch, runs all the way through a brick or panel, if you can see light or feel heat on the wall behind the firebox, or if pieces are falling out. Those let heat, embers and gases reach the framing behind the fireplace.

On a well-built brick chimney, mortar joints commonly need repointing every 15 to 25 years, sooner on the exposed top courses that take the most weather. The brick itself can last 50 to 100 years or more if the joints, crown and cap are kept up.

It depends on the cause and the policy. Damage from a sudden event such as a chimney fire, lightning, a fallen tree or a windstorm may be covered. Deterioration from age, freeze-thaw cycles and deferred maintenance usually is not. A written inspection report with photos helps if you file a claim.

Both, and the roof-side parts in between. Our masons handle the exterior stack, the crown, the flashing, the flue liner, the smoke chamber, the damper and the firebox, all in house. That matters because a cracked firebox and a leaking crown are often the same water problem seen from two ends.

It depends on what has failed: a few repointed joints, a crown repair, brick replacement, a firebox rebuild and a full rebuild from the roofline are very different jobs. Chimney height, roof access and the extent of the damage all affect the price. Every job is quoted after an inspection. Contact us for a personalized estimate.