Chimney Repair

numb skull

Hello everybody.

So I got to re-point a brick chimney. Only minor damage is showing, so even though I am no chimney expert, I see no problems and get started.

Only the bloody thing seems to have ever so slight of a wobble to it. uh-oh, maybe I'm in over my depth here.

When I get my camera back I'll post a link to some photos, for now, just let me describe the scene.

The chimney stand 6' tall, starting at base of roof.

It is no longer in use and as such is capped off with a piece of flagstone.

It sits above where a kitchen used to be--apparently it originally went to an old cooking oven.


It is 16" wide, same width on all four sides, which seems a bit narrow to me....

Now it only showed a few bad joints before I started, none near the base. there was a bad patch, about two feet below the base (wher the chimney runs up the side of the house, below the roof.) This patch was maybe one square foot of bad joints. Other than that, all the crumbnling joints were way up at the very top, just beneath the cap.


I notice the flashing recedes into the brick, and is cauked into place. Probing with a nife, the cauking agent goes a bit deep, along three sides of the unit, all at about the same level. The fourth side has no flashing, and the mortar joints level with the flashing on that side are fine.

I've already called in a specialist (coming by late next week), still, I wonder if any one here has any thoughts on the matter.

My guess would be that I am being over cautious: remove the cauking. re-point where cauking was, leaving the mortar recessed enough so that flashing can be re-set into place later.

Sorry for the encyclopedic first post. Newbies can't post pics....

Tscarborough

If it is not used and is wobbley, start at the top and remove it brick by brick. Cap and flash, problem solved!

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bobcaygeonjon

That would work so long as you dont need permission to remove the chimney for example on a historic building.