Family-owned chimney masonry repair in Rosemont North

The mortar types named in ASTM C270

ASTM C270 sorts mortar for unit masonry into types, and Technical Note 8B summarizes them. Your estimate names the type we propose for your chimney and explains why it suits the brick and the existing joints.

• Type M, high compressive strength but not very workable
• Type S, all-purpose with higher compressive and flexural bond strength
• Type N, all-purpose with good bonding and workability
• Type O, low strength, used mostly inside and for restoration

Why chimneys wear faster than walls

Sills, parapets, chimneys and copings, Technical Note 46 notes, experience more severe exposure than ordinary walls and may need repairs at shorter intervals.

A chimney above the roof has weather on all four sides and on top, and no roof overhang to shelter it. That is why a chimney can need joint work while the brick walls of the same house still look sound, and why we check it more closely than the walls around it.

Localized repair or rebuilding a section

Localized repair keeps the surrounding sound masonry and replaces what has failed. A section that is displaced, badly cracked or loose throughout may need to come down to a stable point and be relaid.

The choice depends on the condition of the masonry, not on the product used on its face. We explain which your chimney needs, and where both are reasonable, we write up both so you can compare. A full rebuild is its own service with its own scope.

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