Raking and repointing chimney joints in Boca Del Mar

Joint conditions that call for repointing

Brick industry maintenance guidance lists the joint conditions that usually call for repointing. We look for each of them on every face of the chimney.

When a face shows these conditions, we mark the area and explain whether the damage is local or spread across the chimney. The pattern also hints at where water is coming from.

• Mortar eroded back from the brick face
• Mortar that crumbles or has voids
• Hairline cracks through the joints
• Cracks where mortar has separated from brick

Cracks between the brick and the mortar

Sometimes the mortar is sound but has pulled away from the brick along a joint. Brick industry guidance lists cracks between brick and mortar among the conditions that call for repointing. They can let water into the wall.

Federal preservation guidance notes that a crack along the bond line is easier to repair than one through the brick itself. We rake out those joints and repoint them. We also look for the cause, since repeated bond cracks can point to movement or to mortar that was too hard.

Dust and noise while old mortar comes out

Federal preservation guidance is frank that joint preparation is noisy and can make a lot of dust. On a house, that means planning around windows, air intakes, vehicles and outdoor furniture near the chimney.

We agree with you which windows stay closed and where covers go before raking starts. Dust is controlled as the work proceeds and cleaned up at the end of each day. Tell us about anyone at home who is sensitive to dust, so we can plan the noisiest work accordingly.

Repointing before or after cleaning the brick

If a chimney needs both cleaning and repointing, the order matters. Federal preservation guidance suggests cleaning first when the joints are basically sound. Repointing comes first when the mortar has eroded badly enough for water to get deep into the wall.

We explain which order suits your chimney. Where repointing comes first, any cleaning waits until the new mortar has hardened, and it begins with the gentlest method. Cleaning and repointing each appear on the estimate as their own items, so you can decide on each.