Chimney tuckpointing is the masonry side of chimney leak repair. Mortar joints are meant to be the weak point of a brick chimney, softer than the brick so they wear first and can be replaced. After 25 or 30 years of sun, rain and freeze-thaw, those joints get sandy, recessed and full of hairline gaps, and a chimney with bad mortar soaks up rain like a sponge.
Our masons grind out the failed joints to a depth of about three quarters of an inch, blow them clean, and repack them with fresh mortar in layers. On older homes built with soft brick, we use a lime-rich Type N or Type O mortar rather than hard Type S, because mortar harder than the brick forces the brick faces to spall off instead.
We pay close attention to the joints where the counter flashing sits. If those joints are crumbling, no flashing will stay put. Loose or cracked bricks are cut out and replaced, and a chimney that is leaning or badly split above the roofline gets a partial rebuild instead.
After tuckpointing, the brick needs a few weeks to cure before chimney waterproofing goes on. Call (833) 583-1301 to have our crew look at your mortar.
