Chimney Rebuilding In Mercer County NJ
The masonry of a chimney is what holds the chimney system up and together, and damaged masonry endangers the structure of the chimney. If your chimney needs to be repaired or rebuilt, it is important that it is done by the experts who know what they are doing. Mercer County Chimney Services have served our community for over 10 years, and they are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG). Our trained, licensed and insured technicians are capable of rebuilding, restoration and tuckpointing, ensuring the structural integrity of your chimney system.
Tuckpointing
When masonry damage has not reached the point where rebuilding is necessary, the damage can be fixed and prevented from getting worse by tuckpointing. This process is sometimes called pointing or repointing, but whatever it is called it is necessary when mortar joints between the bricks or stones are cracked or missing. When this happens, moisture seeps into the masonry. Especially in the case of bricks, which are porous and soak up water, moisture in the masonry expands and contracts when temperatures fluctuate between freezing and thawing temperatures. This expansion and contraction can cause spalling (bricks falling off of the masonry) and other damage.
Tuckpointing is the process of filling these gaps and repairing the mortar so that water can no longer seep in, preventing more masonry from falling away. If this is done before the damage becomes worse, a partial or complete chimney rebuild can be avoided.
When rebuilding a damaged chimney, many classifications of procedures exist, such as partial chimney rebuild, flashing-up chimney rebuild and complete chimney rebuild.
Partial Chimney Rebuild
Sometimes only the top portion of a chimney needs to be rebuilt. A partial chimney rebuild only covers the top few courses, as well as a chimney crown in the case of a large chimney. No scaffolding is needed on this procedure, but usually some tuckpointing is done below the section that is rebuilt.
Flashing-Up Chimney Rebuild
When there is significant masonry deterioration in the chimney structure that cannot be fixed with tuckpointing, a flashing-up chimney rebuild is necessary. This involves tearing the structure down to the flashing which is at the roofline. The chimney can then be rebuilt from the roof up, and a new chimney crown will be placed. If the chimney is on the home’s outside wall, the outside section below the roof might need tuckpointing.
Complete Chimney Rebuild
When masonry deterioration has reached a critical point, the chimney is leaning, or there is severe spalling present along the entire length of the chimney, the entire chimney must be rebuilt. The most common causes for the need of a complete chimney rebuild are improper tuckpointing or multiple tuckpointing jobs and an improper chimney rebuild. Because of these costly mistakes, it is critical to be sure you are hiring chimney professionals who know what they are doing the first-time repairs are needed.
In a complete chimney rebuild, the entire chimney is demolished and rebuilt from the bottom up, and a new chimney crown is installed. Usually, the hearth, smoke chamber and firebox do not need to be removed and the chimney can be built around them.
If your chimney needs tuckpointing or rebuilding, call us at 609-802-5288. Mercer County Chimney Services operate in cities across the county, including West Windsor NJ, East Windsor NJ, Pennington NJ and Plainsboro NJ.
