Spalled brick replacement on chimneys in Progresso Village
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
Brick trouble you can spot from the yard
- Brick faces flaking or popping off
- Spalled brick just above the roofline
- Vines rooted over damaged brick
- Mortar gone around a loose brick
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Replacing chimney bricks the careful way
Mapping which chimney bricks need replacing
Before any brick comes out, we map the damage. Each face of the chimney is checked and the units that need replacing are noted by position. The map also shows where damage clusters, which can point to the water source.
You receive that map as part of the estimate, in plain words. It lets you see how many units are involved and where they are. If the pattern suggests a wider problem, such as damage running along a line of movement, we explain that before proposing single-brick repairs.
Buttering the new brick and the opening
Brick industry guidance describes buttering the appropriate surfaces of both the surrounding brickwork and the replacement brick completely with mortar. Mortar on both sides fills the joints as the unit goes in.
Half-filled joints leave voids behind the face, and water can collect in voids. We butter generously and press the brick into place, so mortar squeezes out along every joint. Excess is struck off with a trowel. The goal is a unit bedded fully, not one held by a thin rim of mortar at the face.
Setting the new brick in line with its courses
The replacement brick is centered in the opening and pressed into position, as brick industry guidance describes. It should sit in line with the courses above and below and flush with the face of the wall.
We check its position before the mortar stiffens. A brick set proud or recessed catches water differently from the bricks around it and shows as a repair. Getting it in line is part of making the replacement disappear into the wall rather than standing out as a patch.
Spalling on a chimney that is no longer used
A chimney that is no longer used still stands in the weather. Its brick can spall, its crown can crack and water can reach ceilings and walls inside, whether or not anyone lights a fire.
Damage on an unused chimney also tends to go unnoticed for longer. A free inspection shows whether any bricks need replacing and what is letting water in. We explain the options plainly, including when monitoring is reasonable for now. Waiting too long can turn a few bricks into many.
Spalled brick items on a written estimate
- Color, texture and range compared
- Separate lines for crown or flashing work
- Soft-bristle cleanup of mortar smears
- Overnight cover for an open chimney top
Answers about chimney brick replacement
Why do the faces of chimney bricks come away?
Usually because water gets into the brick and something stops it drying out through the joints. Soluble salts can crystallize under the face, and hard mortar or a film coating can make it worse. We look for the source before replacing units.
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.
Why does the mortar around new bricks need curing care?
Mortar that dries too fast bonds poorly. We keep the new joints damp and out of strong sun as needed and tell you what to avoid, such as washing or cleaning chemicals, while they harden.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
- Gas Fireplace Repair and ServiceGet a model-specific gas fireplace service plan for the fault you are seeing or the maintenance your unit needs.
- Chimney TuckpointingRenew deteriorated mortar joints around chimney bricks that can appropriately remain.
- Chimney Flashing RepairRepair the chimney-to-roof connection with a scope that accounts for the adjoining roofing and masonry.
- Top-Sealing Damper InstallationFit a top-mounted damper only after checking the fireplace, product restrictions and control route.
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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