MASONRY REPAIR

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The chimney was beautiful. It served the fireplace.When oil got expensive, it served the woodstove.

However, the elements have taken their toll. The heat varied, put a strain on the mortar, and now it might be time for masonry repair.

A Chimney’s Weight

A brick or stone chimney weighs6-7tons. When a home is built or a fireplace added, be concerned about the chimney’s foundation and for its balance and stability.

Land moves. Everywhere a chimney is built, the earth is shifting. Changes in temperature, moisture, and the settling of the home can all affect a chimney’s stability.Eventually, masonry loosens, rocks or bricks fall away, and there can be personal injury or property damage.

The Chimney’s Enemy

Your chimney’s most dangerous enemy may simply be water. An unsealed chimney asks for trouble. Water enters porous brick and damaged mortar. Chimneys with metal componentsweaken, rust, and corrode. Here are some results:

• Damper assemblies, iron stoves, firebox assemblies, metal accessories, and doors rust.

• Walls, ceilings, and adjacent wood may rot. Other brickwork may stain.

• Access doors, heating ducts, exposed mortar, and hearths are affected.

• Flue lining systems may be compromised.

• Weak masonry could result in chimney collapse.

• The mixture of water and creosote causes the place to stink!

Caps and Crowns

If water is the culprit, then places that admit water should be a focus for chimney maintenance:

• A chimney cap (rain cover) is a simple fix. Let’s face it, a six-inch opening (flue) in a downpour is going to admit water or snow to your chimney system. If that system is open, there will be water on your floors. A chimney cap will keep out the varmints (birds, squirrels, raccoons, restricting their ability to build nests and redirect smoke back into your home. If you haven’t yet acquired a full coverage chimney cap, please consider it.

• A chimney crown should be installed as the top masonry element on your chimney. It seals the space between the flue liner(s) and the edge of the chimney. It’s slanted toward the ground and has a drip edge (at least two inches to a side) to allow water run-off. Done well, and the exterior of the chimney is spared an excess of water erosion.

• Mortar joints provide many entry points for water. Done properly, there are no joint with gaps—at least when it is new. However, over time, weather erodes the mortar, takes off the hard surface, and exposes anabsorbent undersurface. When that happens, water pools, eventually working its way into the interior of the chimney. A good masonry repair will cut into the mortar joint, point in some fresh mortar, and be finished with a concave surface that will resist penetration.

• Flashing may have to be repaired or replaced. Water deflectorsmay need to be installed, particularly where the chimney exits a steep roof. Finally, add a waterproofing agent.

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