Spalled chimney bricks replaced in Randal Park

No single mortar suits every chimney

Here the brick industry is blunt. BIA Technical Note 8B says no single mortar is best for all purposes, and that the mortar's properties should be compatible with the application, the masonry units and any adjacent products.

A mix that suits new construction may be wrong beside soft old brick, and the reverse is true as well. We choose the mortar for your replacement units after looking at the brick and the existing joints. If a sample of the original mortar would change the decision, we tell you and explain how it would be handled.

Our workmanship warranty on replaced brick

Our workmanship warranty covers the brick units we set and the joints we point around them. If one of our replacement units works loose or a joint we placed fails, we come back to fix it.

Brick that was not part of the repair, and damage from causes outside our work, fall outside the warranty, which is why the estimate records exactly which units we replaced. Keep that record with your home papers.

Relaying a section of a single-layer chimney wall

BIA Technical Note 19B notes that single-wythe chimneys should be attached to the structure, generally with corrosion-resistant metal ties. When a section of brick is taken down and relaid, those connections come into view.

If ties are missing or rusted in the area we open, we explain what we found and how it affects the repair. Work that extends to the chimney's attachment or structure moves beyond simple unit replacement, and we quote it as its own item with the reasons spelled out.

Questions to ask before approving brick replacement

A good estimate answers these questions in writing. If one is missing, ask before you approve the work, whoever is quoting it.

• How many units will be replaced, and how were they chosen?
• What is thought to be causing the damage, and is it addressed?
• Which brick will be used, and how close will the match be?
• Which mortar type and color approach will be used?
• How will extra damaged units found during removal be handled?
• What cleanup and protection of the roof and yard are included?