Chimney Tuckpointing and Mortar Joint Repair

Missing and deteriorated mortar joints can allow water to penetrate the chimney and leak into your home. This deterioration develops from an assortment of chimney defects such as poor craftsmanship, improper crown, cracked or broken bricks, and or improper construction of the chimney itself.

Once these cracks or gaps begin to allow water to penetrate the chimney it begins to soak into the soft interior of the brick, this leads to expansion and contraction through freeze/thaw cycles. If this goes unchecked, you will be left with a spalling and deteriorating masonry structure.

This is why it is imperative that as soon as mortar joints show cracks or deterioration the chimney be tuck-pointed by a chimney expert. Tuck-pointing can be a tricky task and if done incorrectly it will eventually need to be done again, potentially leading to further damage.

The chimney experts at Butler Chimneys have an extensive amount of tuck-pointing experience and can get the job done right. Our process starts by protecting your home with Tarps on the roof around the chimney and on the ground for our prep work. The old bad mortar joints need to be completely removed, so we use masonry grinders to grind out the joints to a depth of at least ¾" to make sure the new mortar can create a good bond with the masonry. The joints are then washed out to clear any dust or loss debris. The mortar used is very important as well, mortar can be made into several diverse types to accommodate a variety of brick and stone types.

Butler Chimneys takes the mortar mixture one step further by adding a powdered waterproofing to the mixture that will effectively waterproof the joint. Once we have chosen the right mixture, we fill pointing bags with the mortar and begin filling the joints. After the joints have been filled, they will need to setup a bit before they can be struck (given the concave look of a mortar joint) with specially designed tools.

To finish everything off we use a masonry brush to give it a great finished look. Proper tuck-pointing will leave your chimney with the best weapon to take on the forces of nature.