Locally owned chimney and fireplace company in Edgewood

Tuckpointing done well lasts, and done badly it can harm the brick it was meant to protect. Our family team repoints chimneys in Edgewood with that in mind. As a local, family-owned company, we also repair crowns, caps and flashing and sweep and reline chimneys. The joints are therefore not repaired while the water that damaged them keeps coming.

Repointing means removing worn mortar from the joints and filling them with new mortar. The National Park Service's guidance on repointing asks for the old mortar to be cut out carefully, to sound material, without chipping the brick edges. Power tools used carelessly can widen joints and scar the brick. New mortar goes in by layers, so each part can set before the next goes over it.

It is then kept from drying too fast while it cures. The mix matters as much as the method. The same guidance asks for a new mortar that is weaker and more permeable than the brick. Any future wear then happens in the joint and not in the brick face. We look at the existing mortar and the brick before choosing, and we tell you if the colour of the new joints will differ at first.

Tell us which parts of the chimney look worn and whether sand or mortar crumbs gather on the roof or the hearth. Mention past repairs if you know about them, because patched joints in a hard grey mortar are a clue. Keep off the roof yourself. The free inspection and the free written estimate come first, with upfront pricing and the water source listed on its own.

Agree to the repointing in the 72 hours after the free inspection and a 10% discount goes on it. We cover the chimney between work days and haul away the old mortar. The written record of the work notes the mix we used.