Our Company Blog

Masonry Repairs and Tuckpointing

Your chimney is designed to outlast your house. However, neglecting maintenance and natural occurrences can cause chimney problems that shorten its life. A long winter, for instance, can damage masonry. This is especially true if the chimney hasn’t been properly waterproofed.

Water and Your Masonry

Masonry is constructed of many materials that are adversely affected by water. Unfortunately, even a small amount of water can cause big damage, especially during winter. When water penetrates the masonry, it is subject to a freeze/thaw cycle that damages the chimney’s structure. The water freezes when temperatures drop, expanding and busting the masonry. Afterwards, melting when temperatures rise, allowing the water to flow deeper into the damaged masonry. This process is repeated until it causes serious damage!

Common Masonry Damage

• Spalling – The freeze/thaw cycle causes spalling. This means the mortar cracks and falls away and bricks flake, thus leaving holes in your chimney.
• Water Damage – Water damage can vary from serious, structural issues to simple stains on the interior or exterior of the chimney system.

Chief Chimney Services has been serving the Suffolk County area for over 20 years. During spring inspections, our technicians often find winter damage that require repairs.

Chief Chimney Services Repairs Your Masonry

• Tuckpointing – Perhaps the most common masonry repair our technicians see is tuckpointing. Our skilled masons remove damaged mortar and bricks and replace them with new mortar for a clean, restored look. This process can be tedious because the new mortar must match the old in consistency, strength, and color. Failing to match the mortar perfectly can mean weaker masonry!
• Rebuild – Less common that tuckpointing, but still important, is the masonry rebuild. For the chimneys that have been grossly neglected or badly damaged due to natural disasters or fire, our masons can rebuild them beautifully.
• Firebox Repair – The firebox withstands the most abuse and often gets the least attention. The firebox keeps the fire in its place, though, so you need it to do its job, and do it well! During your chimney sweep, our technician can spot a problem before it becomes a hazard, and plan accordingly.
• Chimney Crown Repair – The chimney crown also withstands abuse, topping your chimney and keeping out weather and critters. The crown can become damaged because it hasn’t been waterproofed, because of age, or because it wasn’t properly constructed. Whatever the cause, Chief Chimney Services can replace it with a recast chimney crown that is beautiful and functional!

When it’s time to close out your chimney for the off-season, you want to make sure it’s ready for fall. Don’t spend your summer fretting over your chimney repairs. Get your inspection this spring so you can schedule necessary repairs as well. At Chief Chimney Services we put our customers first, and we want your chimney to be ready and safe for fall.

Schedule your appointment now!

Types of Masonry Restoration

If your masonry and/or firebox needs some repairs, call us and our experts will have it fixed in no time!

Masonry restoration is the phrase used for working with any form of masonry on an existing building or home that doesn’t encompass actually building it. Restoration runs the gamut from tearing the masonry down and rebuilding it from scratch to cleaning and sealing. One of the most commonly needed restoration projects is masonry and firebox repair. Keep reading to learn what this job involves and why it’s so critical.

Masonry and Firebox Repair

The specific type of mortar used in fireboxes is called refractory mortar. However, don’t assume that your fireplace was built with this mortar. The chances of an older home actually having refractory mortar in the firebox are slimmer than the chances of a newer home. This is due in large part to changing building codes and the availability of the product. Many brick masons who constructed fireboxes in homes well into the 1990s used either a Portland-cement-based mortar or a self-concocted fireclay mortar (a mix of Portland cement, crushed fireclay, and sand).

Although both of these mortars were approved by building codes of the time, they haven’t fared well in homes in which the fireplaces are used regularly; the problem is simple: Portland cement doesn’t hold up well when subjected to the cycle of heating and cooling that occurs in a firebox. In an effort to combat this problem, most major building codes have added clauses requiring refractory mortar be used, as it doesn’t use Portland cement as a binder; instead, either calcium aluminate or sodium silicate is the binder. Over the long haul, refractory mortar performs far better than Portland-cement mortar and is more readily available than it was a few decades ago.

Approaches for Repairing a Damaged Firebox Mortar

In order to repair damaged firebox mortar, you can take one of three approaches. The first approach involves simply scraping out and repointing the joints between the bricks with refractory mortar. The second approach involves applying a thin coat of refractory cement over the floor of the firebox. The final approach involves removing damaged bricks and replacing them with castable refractory cement. No matter which approach is taken, scrubbing the surface clean and vacuuming any dust before making the repair is critical.

Along with any part of your home, your fireplace requires maintenance to ensure your family’s safety during its use. A damaged firebox can be a potential fire hazard and should be repaired or replaced before using the fireplace again. At Chief Chimney Services, we work hard and pride ourselves on doing outstanding chimney and firebox repair and restoration work. The level of expertise of our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps is unmatched by anyone else on Long Island. No matter what your question or problem, we’re here to help! Contact us to schedule an appointment today.