Spring is the Best Time for Masonry Repairs
New Jersey winters cause chimney damage across the state. During springtime, it’s important to take a look at your chimney exterior. Contact chimney professionals for masonry repair services if you see any cracked bricks, crumbling mortar, or other signs of masonry damage. Chimney masonry repair services may be needed, and spring is the best season to schedule masonry repairs.
Is it Important to Get Masonry Repairs?
If you’ve ever seen a leaning chimney, you’ve seen evidence that people often don’t know the importance of chimney maintenance. Neglecting to get needed chimney masonry repairs only results in worse damage that costs more to fix. Deteriorating mortar exposes the masonry system to water intrusion. If the mortar isn’t replaced using the “tuckpointing” procedure, moisture will seep in.
When water gets inside masonry, problems are inevitable. In freezing temperatures, the water inside the bricks freezes and expands. When the thaw comes, the water contracts. All of this movement damages the bricks. They will continue to deteriorate to the point that the chimney structure is compromised. Spalling occurs, and the chimney begins leaning and could collapse.
What is Tuckpointing?
If the mortar has been damaged but not the bricks, that’s very good because it saves you money. The tuckpointing procedure involves scraping out the old mortar and adding new mortar. It’s a little more complicated than that, but the outcome is impressive. The chimney structure ends up looking revitalized and as sturdy as it ever was.
What is Spalling?
When bricks are damaged by freezing and thawing water, as mentioned above, a process of spalling eventually occurs. The brick face begins popping and flaking off. There’s no way to avoid tearing out the damaged bricks and replacing them with chimney masonry repair. It’s important that the work is done by a chimney masonry specialist as opposed to a brick mason who may not have the same level of training in the area of chimney masonry.
Why is Spring the Best Time for Masonry Repair?
Why should chimney masonry repair be done in spring, considering that other types of masonry projects are fine to do in winter? Well, it’s because it is essential for the materials in the mortar to cure properly. That can only be done in dry, warm conditions. If you wait to have repairs done, you will likely have a larger bill because the damages will almost surely be more extensive as a result of the delay.
Call Mercer County Chimney Service Today
The masonry experts at Mercer County Chimney Service in Hamilton NJ have seen firsthand the destructiveness of harsh weather and the damage it can do to chimney structures. All chimney technicians at Mercer are CSIA-licensed professionals, fully trained, and insured. Spring is the best time to schedule chimney masonry services for scheduling purposes and to stop damage from progressing. For quality chimney services throughout Mercer County, call Mercer County Chimney Service today at (609) 802-5288.