Breathable waterproofing for chimney brick in Goulds

A concrete block chimney

Some chimneys are built from concrete block and finished with paint or stucco, or left bare. Block differs from brick, and some repellents that suit brick are not recommended for block. Makers often offer separate products for block surfaces.

We identify the masonry and match the product to it. If your block chimney is painted or finished in stucco, a clear repellent may not be the right treatment at all. We explain what the surface needs and whether treatment makes sense, before anything is quoted.

Gloss on the brick points to a film

If a chimney has a glossy or wet look after an earlier treatment, it may have been coated with a film-forming product. That shine can be a sign that the coating is sitting on the surface rather than in the pores.

We check any earlier treatment before recommending another. A film over the brick can prevent a penetrating repellent from working and may be trapping moisture. The findings describe what we see, and removing an old coating, if needed, is a separate step with its own test.

Soft, porous brick is where treatment helps most

Some brick is soft and very absorbent, either because of how it was made or because its hard outer face has worn away. Preservation guidance names that kind of brick as a case where a water repellent may be appropriate.

If the brick on your chimney in Goulds soaks up water quickly and stays dark after rain, treatment may be worth it once repairs are done. We check how the brick behaves and whether its faces are still sound enough to hold a treatment. A test area then confirms the result before the whole chimney is done.

What a breathable repellent does

A breathable repellent, applied to sound masonry, changes how the brick handles rain. It is useful protection within its limits, and the list below sets out what it can do.

Those are real benefits on the right chimney. They depend on the repairs done first and on the product suiting the masonry, which is why we check both before recommending treatment.

• Reduces how much water the brick and mortar absorb
• Helps the faces shed rain and dry sooner
• Can slow staining that comes from absorbed water
• Lets water vapor leave the masonry