Spalling chimney brick repair that deals with the cause in Ruskin

Why a coating can make spalling worse

Film-forming coatings sit on the surface of the brick and keep water out, but they also slow the evaporation of water already inside. The Brick Industry Association warns that this can lead to clouding and spalling when the moisture source has not been dealt with.

BIA also notes that salts carried toward a coated surface can be deposited just behind the coating, where their crystals may push the face off. That is why a coating is never our answer to flaking brick.

If your chimney has been coated, tell us what was used if you know. It helps explain the damage and shapes the repair.

Bricks at the roofline and the flashing joint

Masonry just above the roof takes water running off the shingles and splash from heavy rain, and it sits next to the flashing that seals the chimney to the roof. A failed flashing joint can keep that brick wet for long periods.

When damage clusters at the roofline, we inspect the flashing as well as the bricks. Replacing the bricks without fixing a leaking flashing joint would leave the new units in the same wet conditions.

Flashing repair is explained separately on the estimate, and we coordinate with your roofer if other roof work is planned.

What your brick repair estimate shows

The written estimate lists the bricks or the area to be replaced, the replacement brick and mortar, any joint work around the repair and the protection and cleanup involved. Related work, such as crown or flashing repair, appears on its own lines.

Separating the items lets you see what each part costs and decide on each one. Nothing is added after the fact without an explanation and your approval.

Brick under stucco or a mortar coating

Some chimneys have a coat of stucco or a thin mortar coating over the brick. Damage there shows as cracked, hollow-sounding or detached coating rather than flaking brick faces, and the repair follows the coating system.

Where the coating has failed and the brick behind it is also damaged, we explain both parts. Stucco repair and brick replacement are priced separately so the scope stays clear.