A chimney is only as good as the bricks and mortar that went into building it. When these materials begin to fail, you can have a chimney that’s dangerous to operate and live around. Not to mention, brick and mortar damage does nothing for the chimney’s appearance.
American Chimney & Fireplace of Louisville, KY, is a family-owned, family-operated chimney service company that employs certified chimney repair experts to solve our customers’ masonry issues. We offer complete tuckpointing and brick replacement services to restore the strength and good looks of your chimney.
Here’s how we can help you and your chimney with tuckpointing and brick replacement.
How Does Chimney Masonry Become Damaged?
A variety of things can lead to damage in the bricks and mortar of your chimney. The most common include:
- Water penetration and freeze-thaw cycles
- Lightning, hail and other weather events
- A chimney fire
- Inferior-quality bricks and mortar used in the building of the chimney
- Major house shifting or an unstable chimney footing
- Shoddy workmanship
- Years of extreme weather conditions
- Old age
Fortunately, there are solutions for every type of masonry damage. Tuckpointing and brick replacement are usually the places to start.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is a process that removes damaged and deteriorated mortar between the chimney’s bricks and replaces it with a durable new compound. Our chimney masons carefully scrape away old mortar and then properly apply new, strong mortar that will serve you well for many years.
When complete, your chimney will have a uniform and neat appearance, increasing its curb appeal and making it nice to look at.
Brick Replacement
While masonry bricks typically last longer than the mortar that holds them together, they don’t last forever. Eventually, even the strongest bricks will crack, crumble and spall (flake). Brick replacement then becomes necessary.
Because you can’t see inside a brick, it’s impossible to tell how deep the damage goes. But any kind of damage to a brick is usually progressive, meaning it will spread. When this happens, the entire chimney structure can become compromised.
A chimney that’s falling apart or collapsing can cause major damage to the roof and things out in the yard below it. It can also threaten the safety of people and pets who live in the house.
Following an inspection, our masons will get to work replacing bricks that are clearly damaged and adding new mortar around them. We’ll match as closely as possible the color and style of brick that’s already in the masonry.
Chimney Waterproofing
When we’re finished with tuckpointing and brick replacement work, we’ll coat your chimney’s masonry with a strong, vapor-permeable seal that will keep water away from the chimney’s surfaces while allowing moisture to escape from beneath the seal.
A Sound Chimney Starts with Brick Replacement and Tuckpointing
If you see visible signs of damage to your masonry, or if it’s been more than a year since your chimney was properly inspected, American Chimney & Fireplace is here to help. We provide complete brick replacement, tuckpointing, chimney waterproofing, chimney rebuilding and other chimney services. Give us a call, or reach out with our contact form to learn more.
Based in Louisville, KY, our service area covers Pewee Valley, KY, Anchorage, KY, Clarksville, IN, Brandenburg, KY, Fisherville, KY, Glenview, KY, and other communities in the greater Louisville region.
