Raking and repointing chimney joints in Coral Gables
Joint repairs planned to protect the brick faces, backed by our workmanship warranty on the agreed work.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs the chimney joints need repointing
- Hairline cracks running along the joints
- Dark wet patches that linger on the brick
- Joint profile worn flat or recessed
- Water inside after rain on one side
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Choosing mortar for a chimney repoint
Clearing dust from the raked chimney joints
Raking leaves dust and loose grains in every joint. New mortar packed onto dust bonds to the dust. Brick industry guidance lists a few ways to clear it, including a stiff brush, oil-free compressed air or a rinse of clean water.
We clean each joint before filling it. Federal preservation guidance favors a rinse with water to carry away the last loose particles. The joints should then be damp but not running with water when the mortar goes in. Clean, damp joints give the new mortar the best chance to bond.
When a mortar analysis may help
For some chimneys, the original mortar is unusual enough that a laboratory analysis is worth considering. Brick industry and federal preservation guidance both describe testing hardened mortar to identify its ingredients and sand.
Federal preservation guidance treats it as useful rather than essential. Brick industry guidance recommends testing when the original mortar type is unknown. If your chimney has special significance or an unusual mortar, ask about analysis during the inspection. We explain what it could add and what it cannot tell you.
Thin mortar smeared over old joints
Some quick repairs spread a thin coat of mortar across the joints without removing anything. From a distance the chimney looks renewed. Up close, a skin of new mortar sits over the old, with nothing underneath to hold it.
That skin cracks and flakes, and water gets between the layers. We identify smeared work during the inspection. Proper repointing means removing it along with the failed mortar beneath, so the new joints go into sound depth. The estimate explains the extra removal involved.
Cleanup and removal of the old mortar
Raked mortar, dust and broken pieces are collected as the work goes on, not left on the roof or in the beds below. When the job is done, the area is cleaned and the debris is hauled away with us.
Mortar smears on the brick are brushed off while they are soft. Paths and roof surfaces near the chimney are swept. If anything was moved to give us access, we put it back or tell you where it is. You should find the site as tidy as we found it, with new joints in the chimney.
Before you approve tuckpointing in Coral Gables
- Dust cleared from the raked joints
- Joint dampening before new mortar
- Mortar chosen to suit the brick
- Joint profile that sheds water
Chimney mortar questions we hear
How do you decide which chimney joints need repointing?
We look at every face and test suspect joints by scraping lightly with a metal tool. Eroded, crumbling, hollow or cracked mortar is marked, along with cracks where mortar has let go of the brick. The estimate shows the areas we propose.
How does the 72-hour window work on repointing?
If you approve the repointing, or anything else on the estimate, before 72 hours have gone by since your free inspection, we take 10% off. The clock starts at your own visit.
Do you test a small area before repointing the whole chimney?
On larger or visible jobs, a sample area confirms color, texture and profile before the rest proceeds. Brick industry and federal preservation guidance both recommend sample panels. We explain whether one suits your chimney.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo