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.
