Spalling brick repair for chimney faces in Wilton Manors
Damaged units come out, sound brick stays, and the new brick is matched in size, color and texture.
- 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
- Bricks that look loose or pushed out
- Peeling paint taking brick surface with it
- Stains inside beside the chimney
- Vines rooted over damaged brick
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Spalling brick repair choices we talk through
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.
Pointing the joints around a new brick
After the brick is set, the joints around it are pointed. Brick industry guidance notes that pointing around the replacement helps ensure full head and bed joints, closing any gaps left during setting.
We pack mortar into each joint around the unit until it is full. Those joints are where water would otherwise find a path around the new brick. They are then tooled at the right moment, so the finished joints are dense and match the rest of the wall.
Exposed cores at the chimney shoulders
Where a chimney steps in at its shoulders, bricks are cut and set back on each course. Brick industry guidance on chimney construction says the cores of units should not be exposed there, and prefers solid brick on a setting bed over a mortar wash.
When shoulder bricks spall, their cores can open to rain, and water drains into the wall below. We look at the shoulders closely and explain whether replacing units with solid brick, renewing a wash or both would stop the water getting in.
Plain questions to ask about brick work
A good brick replacement proposal should answer a few plain questions. Ask which units will be replaced and why, what caused the damage, how the new brick will be matched and what mortar will be used.
Also ask what the work leaves out. Brick replacement does not fix a failed crown, loose flashing or eroded joints elsewhere. We answer those questions in writing on the estimate, so you know exactly what you are approving. Clear answers now prevent misunderstandings once the work starts.
The brick replacement items you approve
- Debris kept out of the flue
- New units toothed into the bond pattern
- Workmanship warranty on agreed brick work
- Aftercare notes and repellent timing
Spalling brick repair questions from Wilton Manors
What happens to the mortar around a replaced brick?
The joints around each new unit are filled completely and tooled to match the existing profile. The mortar is chosen to behave like the existing mortar, because a mix that is too hard can damage the bricks next to it.
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.
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.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Prefab and Zero-Clearance Fireplace RepairIdentify and repair manufactured fireplace components using the appropriate model information.
- Chimney Crown RepairRepair the damaged chimney top with an approach matched to the crown and supporting masonry.
- 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 WaterproofingTreat suitable chimney masonry after checking the surface, repair needs and product requirements.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo