Chimney repointing and mortar repair across Miami Lakes
Our family team explains the mortar, the method and the curing care in plain words.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs the chimney joints need repointing
- Mortar eroded back from the brick face
- White deposits that keep coming back
- Mortar pieces on the roof around the stack
- Loose brick where joints have washed out
Jump to
Getting chimney mortar joints right in Miami Lakes
Keeping the new mortar no stronger than the old
There is a second limit worth knowing. The brick industry's maintenance guidance says repointing mortar should be equal to or lower in strength than the original mortar in the wall. A stronger mix concentrates stress where mortar meets brick and can spall the brick face.
We look at the existing mortar, its hardness and how it has weathered before choosing the repair mix. Where the original is unusually soft, the new mortar has to respect that. We explain the choice in plain words and record it in the written record of the work.
Using mortar within its working time
Once mortar starts to set, adding water to loosen it again weakens it. Federal preservation guidance says repointing mortar should be used within its working time and not retempered. Old mortar in the pan is discarded, not revived.
We mix batches sized to what can be placed while the mortar is fresh. That keeps every joint filled with mortar at its intended strength. It also keeps the color more even across the chimney, because each batch goes into the wall at the same stage.
Joint findings explained on site in Miami Lakes
At the end of a joint inspection in Miami Lakes, we walk you through the results before we leave. We show which faces need work, which joints tested soft under the scraper and what seems to be wearing them down.
Stand where you can see the chimney and we will point to the areas. Nothing is too small to ask about. The written estimate that follows lists the same findings area by area, so what you heard in the yard and what you read later agree.
One chimney face worse than the others
One face of a chimney can show far more joint wear than the rest. That face may take more rain, dry more slowly or sit below a failing part of the crown or cap. The pattern is a clue.
We compare the faces during the inspection and look for what makes the worst one different. The repointing may focus on that face, and the cause above it may need its own repair. We explain both, so the new joints are not worn down the same way.
What your tuckpointing estimate lists
- Joint dampening before new mortar
- Mortar chosen to suit the brick
- Plant growth cut back from the joints
- Cleanup and haul-away of old mortar
Questions to ask before repointing
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.
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.
Do you match the new mortar to the brick or the old mortar?
Both matter. The mortar should suit the brick, which means softer and more permeable than the units and no harder than the original mix. Its color and texture are matched to the existing joints so the repair blends in.
Proudly American
Local service. Careful repairs. A fireplace worth coming home to.
Call Now (645) 465-4171We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo