How To Repair Crumbling Chimney Mortar

Let's face it, your chimney is the most abused part of your home. There it stands tall above your home, left to battle wind, rain, heat and freezing temperatures.

Maintaining your chimney is the best DIY job you can accomplish. Crumbling mortar? Mortar repair, known as repointing, will help you avoid a much more costly problem down the road. Repointing is the treatment of joints between bricks, stone or other masonry components by filling with mortar; also, called tuck-pointing.

Iools Needed For Mortar Repointing

Mortar Mix
Jointing Tool
Brick Trowel
Soft Brush
Container to mix cement in and hoe
Grinder w/ tuck pointing attachment and blade
Ladder or Scaffolding
Mason Hammer and Chisel
Pointing trowel
Scraper
Square mason trowel or board

Getting Started

Set up your work area before starting your job. Scaffolding or ladders should be properly set and if working on a high or extremely pitched roof, safety harnesses should be used.

Always work from the bottom up and work in small sections (a few feet or so). Start by removing the loose mortar with a mason's hammer and chisel. For big jobs, renting an electric grinder by be more beneficial.

Mix with water as directed by the manufacturer. Load the bottom side of a square mason's trowel (a board wil also work) and hold it against the brick below the joint you are filling. Take a portion of the mortar with a pointing trowel off the board and pack it into the joint.

When your section of joints are full, with a brick trowel held flat against the brick, slice through the excess mortar and remove.

Each joint must now be compressed and shaped. By using a jointing tool or the tip of a pointing trowel, smooth each joint and remove excess mortar.

Continue to the next section until the job is complete.

When all the joints have set up, using a soft brush, clean the face of the brick.

Quick Tips

A couple days after completing the job, go back over it with a stiff broom and remove any left over sand and/or dust.

Unfortunately, crumbling mortar may have already damaged the inside of your flue beyond safety. If this is the case, a stainless steel chimney liner will give you and your family the peace of mind needed during the long heating months. Purchase a Stainless Steel Chimney Liner Chimney-Liner-Central.com Home: The DIY Chimney Repair Resource