Spalled and cracked chimney bricks replaced in Alameda
The mortar around each new brick is chosen to protect the bricks beside it, not to overpower them.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs the chimney bricks need replacing
- Corners broken off several bricks
- Earlier replacement bricks failing again
- Damage worst near the chimney top
- Chipped edges where joints were ground out
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What careful brick replacement involves
Finding the water behind spalled brick
Replacing a spalled unit treats the visible effect. Brick industry maintenance guidance asks that the cause be corrected too, and with spalled brick that cause often involves water. It may come from a failed crown, loose flashing, open joints or a leaking cap.
We check those parts during the inspection and note which ones are feeding water into the damaged area. If one needs repair, it is priced as a separate item. Replacing bricks after the water path is closed gives the new units a fair chance.
Clearing dust and fragments from the opening
Dust and fragments left in the opening weaken the new bond. Brick industry guidance calls for the opening and its surroundings to be carefully cleared before the new brick goes in.
We brush and clear each opening, including the back where the new mortar must grip. Loose material is collected rather than pushed inward. A clean opening lets the mortar bond to sound brick on every side, which is what holds the new unit firmly in the wall. It takes a little longer than a quick sweep, and it shows in how well the unit holds.
Spalled brick in the top courses
Damage can concentrate in the top courses of a chimney, just below the crown. Those bricks take water whenever the crown cracks, lacks an overhang or loses its seal at the flue.
Replacing top-course bricks without fixing the crown above them invites the same damage again. We check the crown, cap and flue seal whenever the upper courses are spalled. If the top needs work, we explain the sequence, with the crown usually repaired after any loose top courses are dealt with.
Water from irrigation and runoff at the base
Sprinklers aimed at a chimney base, or roof runoff that lands beside it, can soak the lower brick again and again. The brick may never fully dry, and faces can begin to flake.
When we see damage low on a chimney, we ask about irrigation and look at where water lands. Adjusting a sprinkler head or redirecting runoff is often something you can do yourself. It can matter as much as the replacement, because new brick in the same spray will face the same wetting.
Brick replacement priced area by area
- Break-out of each damaged unit
- Surfaces dampened before setting
- Debris removal and haul-away
- Upfront price for each replacement area
Chimney brick work, questions and answers
Does the fireplace need to stay unused during brick replacement?
Sometimes, while mortar around the new units cures and while any opening near the flue is closed up. Where the new bricks sit decides how long, and we give you a clear point to resume fires.
What does the free inspection include for damaged brick in Alameda?
We look at each face, mark units that have lost their face, cracked through or come loose, and check the joints around them. The crown, cap and flashing above get checked too, since any of them could be feeding water into those bricks.
How does the inspection discount apply to brick replacement?
Say yes to the brick replacement within 72 hours after your free inspection and we take 10% off the services you book. Those hours run from your own inspection visit.
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Local service. Careful repairs. A fireplace worth coming home to.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo