Questions about your chimney? Call our receptionist, Kari, at 320.414.0191. She picks up weekdays, 9 to 5.
When a chimney's mortar joints are washing out, the question we get is whether it can be tuckpointed or whether it needs to be rebuilt, and the answer comes down to the brick itself. The difference in what it takes is big, so we show you what we're seeing before we say which.
When tuckpointing is enough
If the bricks are solid and it's the mortar between them that's gone soft or fallen out, we grind out the old mortar and pack new mortar into the joints. A few spalled bricks can come out and be replaced as part of the same job.
When it has to be rebuilt
If the bricks themselves are spalling all over, loose enough to move, or the chimney is cracked through or leaning, new mortar has nothing solid to hold onto. Then the chimney comes down to where the brick is sound and gets laid back up with new brick and mortar.
Either way
The top gets a proper crown with an overhang and a drip edge, because whatever let the water in the first time will do it again otherwise. Our receptionist can tell you what your job runs once we've seen it.
If any of this sounds like your chimney, call 320.414.0191. We'll come out, climb up, take pictures of what we find and show you before we quote anything.
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