Stone Chimney Mortar Repair

Crumbling masonry joints start out ugly and then things get uglier fast.

Stone chimney mortar repair.

Old chimneys may have cracked and crumbling mortar joints. Read on to learn how to repoint brick. You can use this versatile procedure for many chimney types be it stone brick or concrete. Tuckpointing cleaning out and remortaring the joints is easier than it looks if you have the right tools.

Larger scale pointing jobs such as a whole wall that needs repair. Color matching new mortar to existing mortar in highly visible areas. The basic mortar ingredients remain the same. How to fix cracks in a stone chimney.

Before attempting this type of project chisel out any loose or damaged mortar to create a minimum 1 inch deep space in the remaining mortar. Always use a herbicide to kill plants before removing them from a chimney. To fix crumbling chimney mortar you will need to remove the old mortar and reapply new mortar into the gaps. The first tip to remember when mixing chimney mortar is the four different types of mortar that are commonly used in building projects.

Fingers often work as the best tool for some of the tighter joints image 2. Chimney and wall repair requiring setting up and moving scaffolding. Look for a specially prepared chimney mortar mix from a hardware or home improvement store and use it to fill these gaps. Areas with a lot of loose or missing brick requiring rebuilding walls or corners.

Just make sure the mortar is tightly packed each time it s applied. These types are type o type s type m and type n. Crumbling mortar in brick walls and chimneys has to be cut out and replaced to avoid structural and water damage. Aside from the aesthetic downsides crumbling mortar weakens the structure of the chimney.

The different types of mortar. However the mortar that holds bricks together a mixture of cement and sand can weaken and crumble. The most common use for mortar in chimneys is for mortar repair between the bricks or tuckpointing. Apply the mortar to the joint using a pointing trowel if one is available.

Clear away excess mortar image 3 making sure it fills the void and stays in place. If the problem lies with mortar as opposed to the bricks you know what to do. Head back to the previous page and follow the procedure for mortar repair.