Masonry Repairs
Tuck Pointing.
Sometimes the outer surface of a brick or stone chimney shows some wear and tear, generally from years of exposure to water and freeze-thaw cycles. If the damage is superficial – that is, if the structure is sound, but mortar is flaking away on outer surface, tuck pointing may be all that’s required. Tuck pointing involves replacing missing mortar between the bricks or stones.
However, a thin coating of masonry over loose material will look nice, but it will soon fail, sometimes in just a year or so, as water damage continues to occur from the inside out. Typically we use a grinder to carve out all the loose mortar in the joints. This ensures that the new masonry is bonded not to loose material but to a solid foundation, and that there is enough of a mass of new masonry that the new masonry joint will be strong.
Masonry construction manuals use phrases like “push-filled head and bed joints” to describe the right way to build masonry walls, chimneys, etc. What this means is that all the mortar joints – both the horizontal joints and the vertical joints – need to be packed tightly with mortar, so there are no gaps. This is just as important when tuck pointing existing masonry structures. When we tuck point a chimney, we take the time to pack the joints fully, and to clean up the surface so the work is neat and attractive. The result is a repair job that looks nice, and will last for many years.
Rebuilds.
A common mistake that we have seen in more significant repairs is to rebuild the top part of a chimney, but not to be adequately thorough in removing all the damaged courses (layers) of brickwork. Good brickwork on top of bad doesn’t get the job done. We will give you a clear, frank assessment: If minor repairs will do, we’ll tell you. But if there is visible, significant damage to the top of the chimney, the right way to repair might involve a more significant rebuild. It’s common, for instance, to remove the brickwork to a point below the roofline, and rebuild the entire visible portion, including re-flashing the chimney. The result is a chimney that looks brand new, since the entire visible portion above the roof is new. But more importantly, the result is a new section of chimney built on a solid structure.
Hearths, Mantels, Etc.
Masonry inside the home might also need some attention. The same kinds of repairs for the exterior can be done to interior masonry work: tuck pointing to hearths and mantels, rebuilding fireplace firebacks, and so on. There are also some cosmetic considerations, such as cleaning smoke-stained mantels.
Specialized Parts and Accessories.
Chimney repairs often involve working with custom parts and accessories, like old cast-iron dampers, clay chimney pots, fireplace doors, kettle swing-arms in a fireplace, cast-iron firebacks, and so on. Over the years we’ve seen just about everything, and we have lots of experience in tracking down unusual chimney-related parts and supplies. If you have some specialized repair in mind, ask us about it. We like a challenge!
Call (781) 585-5990 or Email us for an appointment to inspect your chimney, and we will provide you with a quote for any masonry repairs you may need.
