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Call Top Hat & Tails For Your Chimney Repointing Needs

If you own a brick home or have long owned a brick chimney, you’re probably familiar with the term “repointing.” If it’s new to you, a few basic points about repointing:

  • It’s careful work that requires an expert hand.
  • Materials used can vary greatly depending on the age of your masonry work.
  • Having it done properly is hugely important to the longevity and appearance of your brickwork and your home.

What Is Repointing And When Might I Need To Have It Done?

chimney in bad need of tuckpointing. Crack from top to bottom.

Your masonry chimney was built using bricks or stones joined by mortar joints, and ideally, well-constructed and -maintained mortar joints will not only hold your chimney together, but will keep moisture from getting to the interior of your chimney and home. Over the years, however, the effects of weather and time can make those joints recede and/or crack, leaving your chimney weaker and more susceptible to leaks and further damage from the freeze/thaw cycle. When that happens, repointing is often the right fix.

When Top Hat & Tails technicians come out to inspect your chimney, we’ll always pay mind to your chimney’s exterior and to the strength of your mortar joints — so, you’ll often become aware of the need for repointing after an inspection. But if you notice a chimney leak in between inspections, there’s a possibility that damaged joints are the culprit. Call us as soon as you come across signs of a leak (signs include: moisture in or around your chimney or nearby building materials, discoloration, new/bad odors, etc.), and we’ll troubleshoot the problem and let you know what the cause is.

Repointing And Doing It Properly

The reason we always stress that repointing is exacting, detailed work is that, to do it correctly, there’s a lot more required than simply slapping fresh mortar on a damaged joint.

To repoint your chimney, Top Hat & Tails technicians will:Tech tuckpointing chimney wearing blue vest with roadway in the background.

  • carefully grind or route out the damaged existing joints, creating carefully prepped grooves that are ready for fresh mortar
  • choose and use the correct type of mortar to match your original building materials
  • carefully shape and smooth new joints that will bring back your chimney’s strength and ability to fight water intrusion

Why Proper Materials Are Important

A little-known fact outside of chimney/masonry professional circles: The makeup of bricks and mortar has changed throughout the decades of our trade. That includes differences in water permeability, compressive strength, and more. If you were to repoint or repair a historic chimney using modern mortar and/or replacement bricks, your work would be disconcertingly obvious, and worse, it would negatively affect the strength of the chimney.

This is why knowledge, training, and experience are key to proper repointing work — and Top Hat & Tails’ technicians are well-armed with all three.

Let The Pros Handle Your Repointing Work

If you’d like to make an appointment, or if you have any questions about repointing, chimney leaks or other chimney system worries, we’re always glad to help. Call Top Hat and Tails at 973-450-1947 or click here to schedule your appointment!

 

We repair cracks anywhere in the masonry or mortar of your chimney system to keep it functioning safely and efficiently. Ask us for more information about this important chimney service today.

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