Careful chimney repointing for Lake Sunset homes
Before any joint is raked out in Lake Sunset, we find the water that wore it down and include the fix in the plan.
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Tuckpointing details settled in writing in Lake Sunset
Good repointing is decided before the chisel comes out. Here is how we record four of those decisions in Lake Sunset.
- Hand tools for head joints and soft brick
- Access by roof, ladder or staging
- Roof, gutter and yard protection
- Curing care for the new joints
Chimney repointing explained for Lake Sunset homeowners
This is how our local crew thinks through repointing for chimneys in Lake Sunset.
White streaks running from the joints
White deposits on brick, known as efflorescence, form when water carries soluble material to the surface and leaves it behind as it dries. Brick Industry Association guidance recommends looking closely at masonry where the deposits keep coming back.
On a chimney in Lake Sunset, streaks that start at particular joints show where water is moving through the mortar. We use them to help locate open joints and the sources feeding them, and we note them in the findings so you can watch whether they fade after the repointing.
Spalled brick beside open joints
Bricks whose faces have flaked or popped off often sit next to eroded joints, because both are signs of water in the wall. Repointing the joints does not repair a spalled brick.
When we find spalled units on your Lake Sunset chimney, they are listed for replacement as their own item. The replacement bricks go in first, and the surrounding joints are then repointed together, so the finished face is sound and consistent. Replacement units are matched as closely as practical in color and size, and the estimate says how close we expect to get.
Finishing joints against worn brick edges
When old bricks have rounded, worn edges, filling the joint flush makes it look wider than it is and leaves a thin edge of mortar that breaks off easily. Preservation Brief 2 recommends recessing the final mortar slightly from the face in that case.
On older-looking brick on your Lake Sunset chimney, our masons finish joints just behind the worn edges. The joints look the right width and the mortar holds its edge, which is better for appearance and for keeping water out. It is a detail most people never notice, which is the point.
Other work in Lake Sunset
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Before your chimney repointing in Lake Sunset
Joint and mortar questions from visits in Lake Sunset, answered in plain words.
Do you repoint the joints inside the fireplace?
No. Firebox joints face direct heat and use different materials, so they are handled as firebox repair. We note their condition during the inspection and quote them separately if needed.
Do you remove old caulk and patches from the joints?
Yes. Caulk and smeared patches are removed down to sound mortar before repointing, because new mortar will not bond to them. Any extra time this takes is listed in the estimate.
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- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
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