Stone chimney repair specialists for Hunter's Creek homes

Clearance from grade and paving

The manufactured stone instructions we follow call for a 4-inch clearance between the stone and grade, or 2 inches above a paved surface, measured from the screed in framed applications. The gap keeps ground moisture and splashing water away from the bottom of the veneer.

Landscaping changes over the years. New mulch, raised beds and pavers can close that gap without anyone noticing. We measure it at the chimney base and tell you what should be pulled back, and whether the stone at the bottom has already suffered.

Gutters, kick-outs and runoff

Where a roof edge, a gutter or a downspout sends water against a chimney, the stone takes a steady soaking. The maker's instructions warn that incorrect or missing flashing, kick-out flashing, gutters and downspouts can divert runoff onto finished surfaces and cause staining.

We note where water lands on the stone during the inspection. The fix is often outside the stone work, such as a kick-out flashing or a gutter adjustment, and we list it separately so you can decide.

Resetting a loose stone

A loose stone comes out carefully, by hand, without prying against its neighbors. The old mortar is cleaned off the stone's back and the bed it came from, down to sound material.

Then the stone goes back with fresh mortar filling the whole bed, pressed in until mortar squeezes out around its edges, and the joints are tooled to match. Before any of that, we find out why it loosened, since a reset over the same water problem will not hold.

• Removed by hand, neighbors protected
• Old mortar cleaned off stone and bed
• Reset with full mortar coverage
• Joints tooled to the existing profile

Cut stone with fine joints

Cut or dressed stone has flat faces and square edges laid with narrow joints. The edges are the vulnerable part, since a slip of a grinder or chisel shows at once.

On cut stone, we remove mortar by hand wherever possible, work slowly at the edges and keep joints to their original width. Chipped edges from earlier work are noted in the findings, and badly damaged units are assessed for replacement.

Association reviews and exterior changes

Some homeowner associations review changes to how a home looks from outside. A repair that matches the existing stone usually changes nothing, while re-cladding a chase in a new stone or color may need approval first.

If your home belongs to an association like that, we can provide the product names, colors and a description of the work for its review. Sorting that out before the job avoids delays once work has started.