CHIMNEY REPAIR?

[Todd]

Question on chimney repairs. I've lived in this house for 4 years now, and every year I notice more pieces of brick falling off my chimney. I've plugged some of the holes up with mortar, but every year there is more damage. The chimney was built in 1975 and I think it is concrete block with a brick fascia? If I go the tuck pointing route I'd be doing it every year. What about some kind of cement covering right over the bricks? Thanks.

 

[Todd]

Are you in a freeze/thaw zone? Is your mortar scaling?

Sounds like you didn’t have a high enough cement content, too little air, or perhaps too much water when they were making your mortar. Could be a number of other reasons too. I used to be an ACI certified inspector when I was working in the crushed stone/asphalt/concrete/sand&gravel industry as a degreed mining engineer many years ago. (I added that because people here like to take digs on engineers)

Offhand, if it is poor mortar then you may be looking at redoing the brick fascia.

Yes, I'm in a freeze thaw zone. It's more like the bricks are crumbling apart, not the mortar.

 

[Shane]

When bricks chip away like that isn't it called spalding? Aren't the bricks essentially rotted?

 

[Todd]

That's what it is "brick spalling" Crapola, So what do you think, can I cover it all up with some kind of stucko or cement, or just rebuild sometime in the future.

 

[webbie]

Question on chimney repairs. I've lived in this house for 4 years now, and every year I notice more pieces of brick falling off my chimney. I've plugged some of the holes up with mortar, but every year there is more damage. The chimney was built in 1975 and I think it is concrete block with a brick fascia? If I go the tuck pointing route I'd be doing it every year. What about some kind of cement covering right over the bricks? Thanks.

Did they use "used" brick to build the fireplace?

If so, they might be "rotting".

In many chimneys, the brick may be the ONLY wall (around flue tile) - not on top of block. You can check this by measuring at the top around the flue tile to determine thickness.

 

[webbie]

That's what it is "brick spalling" Crapola, So what do you think, can I cover it all up with some kind of stucko or cement, or just rebuild sometime in the future.

I'd be worried the pressure could just pop out the stucco. I suspect if you used wire lath and fastened it well before stucco, then it might hold.

Others here might know more about masonry....

Oh, make certain your crown is sealed well - moisture getting in there could seep down into the bricks and then freeze/thaw and break them up.

 

[Todd]

Question on chimney repairs. I've lived in this house for 4 years now, and every year I notice more pieces of brick falling off my chimney. I've plugged some of the holes up with mortar, but every year there is more damage. The chimney was built in 1975 and I think it is concrete block with a brick fascia? If I go the tuck pointing route I'd be doing it every year. What about some kind of cement covering right over the bricks? Thanks.

Did they use "used" brick to build the fireplace?

If so, they might be "rotting".

In many chimneys, the brick may be the ONLY wall (around flue tile) - not on top of block. You can check this by measuring at the top around the flue tile to determine thickness.

Don't know if the brick was used or not, but its the same brick inside and out.

The chimney brick looks like it is used as a fascia around concrete block. Don't think it's structural.