Your stone chimney, repaired and repointed in Airport North
Your stone chimney in Airport North, repaired with compatible mortar and a workmanship warranty on our work.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Line by line on your stone chimney in Airport North
Every line comes from what we find on your stonework in Airport North, never from a stock list.
- Drainage at the base and terminations checked
- Gutters and runoff onto the stone noted
- Deep joints filled in layers
- Sealer need and product reviewed
How we repair stone chimneys in Airport North
The difference between a patch and sound stonework, as seen on chimneys in Airport North.
Finding hollow stones by tapping
A stone with voids behind it sounds different when tapped. On a veneer chimney, we tap every stone within reach and mark the ones that sound hollow or move.
One hollow stone in a sound wall may just be reset. A cluster of hollow stones points to a wider bond problem in the setting bed or scratch coat, and the plan changes accordingly. The findings show where the hollow areas are, so you can see why a repair covers the area it does.
Pointing joints when they are thumbprint dry
On manufactured stone, the maker's instructions call for joints to be pointed with a wood stick or metal jointing tool once they are firm, or thumbprint dry. Excess mortar is raked out and the edges around each stone compacted and sealed.
Setting times vary with the wall and the weather, so our crew checks joints by touch instead of by the clock. Even, careful jointing is what makes a repaired area read as part of the original wall.
Hard stone, soft stone and mortar strength
The brief notes that a mortar strong in compressive strength might suit hard stone such as granite, and that a strong mortar is still more permeable than hard, dense stone. Softer units call for softer, more permeable mixes.
So there is no single stone mortar. We identify the stone on your chimney, look at the existing mortar and choose a mix that suits both. The mix type is written into the estimate so you know what was used.
Blending manufactured stone from several boxes
Manufactured stone comes in boxes with a range of sizes, shapes and colors. One maker advises spreading the stone out on site and mixing from different boxes to get a good balance, with small stones next to large ones and heavy textures next to smooth.
For repairs, the same idea applies on a smaller scale. We choose replacement pieces so the repaired patch blends with the pattern around it instead of forming a block of look-alike stones.
Stone faces that flake or spall
Spalling is when the outer face of a stone flakes or pops off. Moisture moving through the stone is usually involved, especially where hard mortar or a non-breathable coating keeps it from leaving through the joints.
Lightly spalled stones can stay if the cause is fixed. Badly damaged ones are replaced. Either way, the joints around them are repointed with a compatible mortar, and any coating that is trapping moisture is discussed before anything else is done.
Other work in Airport North
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What people in Airport North ask before repointing
No sales talk, just stonework answers from our specialists in Airport North.
Can you repair cultured stone on my chimney?
Yes. Manufactured stone is repaired to its maker's directions, which cover the backing, the setting bed, joint width and cleaning. We remove loose units, check what is behind them and reset or replace them with full mortar coverage.
Should my stone chimney be sealed?
Sometimes, but not by default. One manufactured stone maker says sealers are not necessary on its product and, if used, should be breathable silane or siloxane types, since a sealer can slow moisture leaving the stone. We explain whether a sealer suits your chimney.
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