Your local chimney mason for repairs in Eatonville

Softer mortar in older masonry

Mortar laid before the early 1900s, Technical Note 8B notes, was mostly lime, with little or no portland cement, and has lower strength than modern mixes. Repairing that masonry with a strong modern mortar can damage it.

Type O is often used for repointing older brickwork, and ASTM C1713 covers mortars for historic masonry. When a chimney calls for that kind of work, we tell you so, since historic restoration follows its own methods.

What a masonry estimate should list

Our written masonry estimates list the parts of the job that decide price and result, so you can compare them fairly with any other proposal.

• The repair area, marked from sound to sound masonry
• The mortar type and how it matches the existing joints
• Replacement brick, if any, and the expected match
• Removal of old patches, sealant and loose material
• Access, roof protection and cleanup
• Separate lines for crown, flashing or other work

Rust stains on chimney masonry

Rust streaks on masonry usually start at metal parts, such as a cap, a bracket, an old fastener or steel inside the masonry. The stain points to the source but does not say how serious it is.

We find where the rust is coming from. A surface stain from a cap is a small matter, while rust from steel inside the masonry can be a structural concern, and the estimate explains which you have. Surface staining can often be cleaned once its source is dealt with, using a product made for brick and tested on a small area first.

Fresh mortar in strong sun

Strong sun and warm masonry pull water out of fresh mortar quickly. If it dries before it cures, the joint can end up weak and powdery at the surface.

We dampen the masonry appropriately before placing mortar, work in sections sized to the conditions and protect fresh joints from drying out too fast. On a hot day that can mean starting early or shading the work. Brick industry technical notes cover hot weather construction for exactly this reason, and we follow the same thinking on every roof we work on.