Spalled and cracked chimney bricks replaced in Lake Ridge
Crown, flashing and joint repairs stay separate items, each with its own reason.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Cracked and flaking brick worth a closer look
- Brick fragments on the roof or ground
- Stains inside beside the chimney
- Damp patches that stay on damaged bricks
- Pitted brick from past harsh cleaning
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Choosing replacement brick for a chimney
Hard mortar and cracked brick faces
Mortar is meant to be the weaker partner in a masonry wall. Federal preservation guidance explains that mortar harder than the brick forces stresses into the units, which then crack and spall. Brick industry guidance warns of the same result from strong repointing mortar.
If your damaged bricks sit beside bright, dense joints from an earlier repair, that mortar may be part of the story. We point it out and explain whether those joints should be renewed with a softer mix when the bricks are replaced.
Judging the brick match with a sample
Brick industry guidance recommends a mock-up or sample panel to judge how replacement brick compares with the existing wall. Seeing new and old side by side, in daylight, tells you more than a catalog picture.
For visible faces, we set out the proposed brick against the chimney before the work is approved. You can look at it wet and dry if that helps. If the match is not good enough, we look further before anything is cut out, rather than after.
Spalled brick under a failed crown
A crown that has cracked, lost its slope or has no overhang can send water into the bricks below it. Those bricks may spall first, and replacing them alone leaves the cause in place.
We look at the crown whenever the upper bricks are damaged. If it needs work, crown repair is priced as a separate item and scheduled in the right order. Replacing bricks under a sound, well-shaped crown is the combination that lasts. We explain the sequence on the estimate, so the crown and the brick work support each other rather than compete for the same budget line.
Softer brick and the mortar around it
Some brick is softer and more absorbent than others. Federal preservation guidance explains that in a wall of soft brick, a soft, permeable mortar is needed so moisture can leave through the joints rather than through the units.
If your chimney is built of softer brick, the mortar around replacement units is chosen with that in mind. A hard mix would push the problem into the bricks next to the repair. We explain the mortar choice so you can see how it protects the existing brick.
What your brick replacement estimate lists
- Survey of damaged units on each face
- New brick buttered and set in place
- Mortar suited to the existing joints
- Solid wall kept around the flue
Answers about chimney brick replacement
How do you match new brick to an older chimney?
We compare size, color, texture and the range of shades in the wall, and we can set out a sample to judge the match. Finding a close brick can take some searching. New brick may look fresher at first.
Will new bricks stop water getting into the house?
They can close an entry point where broken brick lets water in. Water can also enter through the crown, flashing or joints. We explain what the brick work addresses, and a hose water test comes into it only if the job calls for one.
Is there a risk to the bricks next to the ones you remove?
Some, which is why the mortar around a damaged unit is cut carefully and the unit is broken out rather than pried. Brick industry guidance describes this method to protect adjacent brick. We explain how the courses above an opening are protected.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Chimney Animal RemovalAssess occupied chimney openings and plan appropriate follow-up cleaning or entry protection.
- Firebox RepairRepair the damaged fireplace chamber using an approach suited to masonry or manufactured components.
- Chimney TuckpointingRenew deteriorated mortar joints around chimney bricks that can appropriately remain.
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
- Fireplace RestorationCoordinate fireplace repairs while preserving suitable existing features and defining the intended use.
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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