Tuckpointing for chimneys in North Lauderdale
You see which joints need work and which are still sound before approving anything.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs the chimney joints need repointing
- Sandy grit at the base of the chimney
- White deposits that keep coming back
- Damp brick inside the attic by the chimney
- Stepped cracks following the mortar lines
Jump to
What good tuckpointing looks like
What chimney tuckpointing work covers
Tuckpointing on a chimney means removing mortar that has worn, cracked or crumbled and packing new mortar into the prepared joints. The bricks stay where they are. The work restores the joints so they shed water and hold the masonry together as intended.
We explain the boundary of the job at the inspection. Joint work covers the mortar between sound bricks. A brick that has lost its face, a cracked crown or loose flashing each needs its own repair. Keeping those apart makes the estimate easier to follow.
Packing chimney mortar in thin layers
Brick industry and federal preservation guidance both describe repointing in thin layers. Each layer is pressed firmly into the back of the joint and allowed to stiffen before the next goes on. Most shrinkage happens while each layer hardens.
Layering keeps that shrinkage small and spread out, instead of opening one crack along the face of a thick fill. It is a step that takes patience. We tell you in the estimate that joints are filled in layers, because it affects how long the work takes.
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.
Stepped cracks that follow the joints
A crack that zigzags up through the mortar joints can mean the chimney has moved. Brick industry maintenance guidance treats structural cracks as needing their own investigation rather than routine repointing. Filling them without knowing why they formed can hide ongoing movement.
We look at where the crack starts, how wide it is and whether bricks on either side have shifted. The same guidance lists stepped cracks among the signs of a structural issue, so we explain that the cause needs investigating first. Repointing is planned after that answer, not instead of it.
Your chimney mortar repair scope in writing
- Raking to an even, sound depth
- Removal of mortar slivers on brick edges
- Joint dampening before new mortar
- Tooling at thumbprint hardness
Mortar joint repair answers
How deep are the old joints raked out?
Deep enough to reach sound mortar, to an even depth that relates to the joint width, as brick industry guidance describes. Shallow raking leaves new mortar too thin to hold, which is one reason earlier repointing sometimes falls out.
Should the chimney be waterproofed after repointing in North Lauderdale?
Not straight away. The brick industry's advice on clear coatings is to wait several months after repairs, because the repairs often stop the water on their own. A repellent after that is a separate item.
Will you repoint the joints inside my firebox as well?
Firebox joints use refractory mortar and belong to firebox repair, a separate service. Chimney tuckpointing covers the exterior masonry. If both need work, each is priced on its own line so you can decide.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Fireplace RestorationCoordinate fireplace repairs while preserving suitable existing features and defining the intended use.
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Spalling Brick Repair and Chimney Brick ReplacementReplace deteriorated chimney bricks while retaining suitable surrounding masonry.
- Gas Fireplace VentingAssess and repair the gas fireplace vent arrangement using components suited to the identified system.
- Chimney Damper Repair and ReplacementRestore a usable damper mechanism after checking the plate, frame and control linkage.
We 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