Mortar joint repair for brick chimneys in Hialeah
Repointing mortar should be softer than the brick, and we explain the mix we choose.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Joint trouble you can spot from the yard
- Mortar eroded back from the brick face
- Sandy grit at the base of the chimney
- Gaps opening between brick and mortar
- Loose brick where joints have washed out
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Choosing mortar for a chimney repoint
Protecting fresh joints from heavy rain
Freshly tooled mortar is soft at the surface. Heavy rain can wash out fine material, streak the brick below and leave joints rough. Covering the work is part of the job when showers are likely.
If rain threatens, we protect the day's joints before we leave and may shift the schedule. We would rather lose a few hours than redo a face of joints. Tell us if you notice covers moved by wind, so we can reset them promptly. A face of joints protected for a day is worth the small delay.
Joints and washes at the chimney shoulders
Where a chimney narrows as it rises, the brick steps back in shoulders. Brick industry guidance on chimney construction prefers solid brick on those steps and notes that mortar washes there may not last as well. Water sitting on a shoulder can soak into the joints below.
We check the shoulders for cracked washes, open joints and exposed brick cores. Repointing the joints helps, but a failed wash or exposed cores may need their own repair. We explain the difference and keep each item separate on the estimate.
The written record of repointed areas
When the work is complete, you receive a written record of it. It lists the faces and areas repointed, the type of mortar used and how it was matched. It also notes anything we saw that falls outside the joint work.
Keep it with your home papers. If you sell the house or call us later, the record shows what was done and where. A future repair can then match the same mortar and method instead of starting from guesswork.
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.
What the free joint inspection covers
- Raking to an even, sound depth
- Separate line for damaged brick units
- Separate lines for crown or flashing work
- Written record of faces and joints renewed
Answers about chimney repointing
Will the new mortar match the color of the old joints?
We aim for a close match by choosing the sand and, where needed, a pigment, then comparing samples wet and dry against the existing joints. New mortar often looks brighter at first and settles as it weathers.
Is a stronger mortar better for my chimney?
No. Repointing mortar should be softer and more vapor-permeable than the brick, and no stronger than the original mortar. A mix that is too hard pushes stress into the brick and can damage its face.
Can you repoint a chimney that has stucco over the brick?
Stucco hides the joints, so there is nothing to repoint from outside. Cracked or loose stucco belongs to stucco repair. If bare brick shows above the roofline, we can assess those joints as a separate area.
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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