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Chimneys can be aesthetically pleasing and play a crucial role in keeping you warm during the colder seasons. However, neglecting or improperly constructing a chimney can lead to significant financial burdens.
Common Chimney Issues
Typical issues with chimneys include deteriorating bricks, known as spalling, cracked mortar, and water seeping into the home. These problems often stem from inadequate caps or crowns.
In Central Illinois, up until the late 1980s, chimneys were typically capped with mortar, a technique known as a mortar slope cap. This mortar is designed to bond bricks, stone, blocks, and other masonry materials but is not suitable for facing the sky due to its porous nature, which allows more water to seep in than expected. While it’s effective for vertical structures, it’s not ideal for facing the elements.
When water soaks into the mortar slope, it can lead to cracks, especially during the winter. Additionally, the mortar like I said previously is made to bond masonry units together not cap anything. The mortar caps a lot of times will crack where it meets the brick around the edges allowing water under the cap. When the cap is soaked with water near the Winter season it will freeze and expand causing it to crack.
Given that the mortar slope cap is often the source of chimney problems, it’s not always the cause of issues I’ve encountered and repaired over the years. My team is confident in identifying and resolving the root of your chimney’s problems, tailored to your specific needs.
Choosing the Right Chimney Repair Experts
When selecting a company for chimney repair, it’s crucial to choose one with expertise in masonry. This ensures that your chimney is not further damaged during the repair process. We’ve observed numerous instances where inexperienced masons attempting to repair brick chimneys have inadvertently increased the cost of the repair.
The cost of repairing a chimney varies based on its size and the severity of the damage including how accessible it is for the team to get to it. Contact Force Masonry to learn how we can help you assess the situation and make a plan to ensure your chimney is as good as new.
