Some chimneys are past repointing. A chimney rebuild in Spring Valley takes the stack down to sound masonry and lays it again, from the roofline up or in full.
Loose or missing bricks, a lean, or mortar that has failed through the full thickness of the wall.
Repointing over a stack that has lost its strength. New joints cannot hold failed brick together.
An inspection that finds how far down the damage goes. A Level 1 inspection is $69.
A chimney is rebuilt when the masonry can no longer be trusted to stay up or to keep water out. That point usually comes after years of water entry through a cracked crown or open joints. The top courses take the worst of it, so damage is normally heaviest above the roofline.
The inspection answers one question. How far down does the sound masonry begin? That depth decides the size of the job.
The work is sized to the damage, not to a package.
The crown and the first few courses are removed and relaid. Often paired with chimney crown repair.
Everything above the roof is taken down and rebuilt, and new flashing is installed.
The chimney is rebuilt from a sound base when damage runs below the roof.
With the stack open, the flue is easier to reach. See chimney liner repair.
The roof around the chimney is protected first. The damaged masonry is taken down by hand, course by course, until solid brick and mortar are reached. The stack is then relaid with new brick, the flue tiles are set or the liner is extended, and a new crown is formed on top with an overhang that sheds water.
Where the chimney meets the roof, new step and counter flashing goes in as the courses rise. Flashing reused from the old chimney is a common source of later leaks. More on that under chimney flashing repair.
If the brick is sound and only the joints have worn, chimney masonry repair is the smaller and better job. A rebuild is for a stack whose brick has failed. Where the main complaint is water indoors, start with chimney leak repair to confirm the source before deciding.
Structural chimney work can require a building permit, and the local building department makes that call. Building codes also set a minimum height. A chimney must rise at least three feet above the roof where it passes through, and at least two feet above any part of the building within ten feet.
A close match in size, color and texture is usually possible. An exact match to weathered brick is not, so a full roofline-up rebuild often looks better than a patchwork of old and new.
Mortar needs temperatures above freezing to cure. Rebuilds are normally scheduled for milder weather, or protected and heated when timing cannot wait.
Yes. A rebuilt stack gets a new crown, since the old crown is usually part of why the chimney failed.