Chimney Brick & Mortar Repair in Winnipeg
Mortar is meant to wear out before the brick does, so when the joints start crumbling, the fix is to grind them out and put new mortar in. Spalled bricks get replaced with ones that match, and loose rows at the top get taken down and relaid.
Ballpark
- Repointing
- $600 to $2,500
- Typical time
- 1 to 3 days
- Best season
- May to October
- Brick
- Matched to yours
What's going on
Why Chimney Brick Breaks Down
A chimney stands out in the weather on all four sides, with no roof over it and warm air inside, so it gets wetter and goes through more freezing and thawing than any other brick on the house. The mortar joints go first. They get sandy, then hollow, and water gets further in each spring and fall.
The mortar used for the repair matters a lot on older chimneys. Brick from the early 1900s is softer than modern brick, and if it's repointed with a hard modern mortar, the joint ends up stronger than the brick around it. The brick then takes the stress of every freeze instead of the joint, and the faces start popping off. On older houses we'll use a softer mix that suits the brick.
- Joints that are sandy, recessed or missing mortar
- Brick faces flaking off, called spalling
- White, chalky staining on the outside, called efflorescence
- Loose bricks near the top that move when pushed
The work
What a Brick and Mortar Repair Involves
Most chimneys need a mix of these. Which ones, and how much of each, is what the estimate visit sorts out.
Repointing
The old mortar is ground out about half an inch to three quarters of an inch deep, and new mortar is packed in and tooled to match the joints around it.
Brick replacement
Spalled or cracked bricks are cut out one at a time and replaced with the closest match we can find, new or salvaged.
Relaying the top courses
When the top few rows have come loose, they're taken off and laid again with fresh mortar. It usually goes together with a new crown, since a failed crown is what loosened them.
Water repellent
After the repairs, a breathable water repellent can be applied to cut down how much water the brick soaks up. It has to be breathable, or moisture gets trapped inside the brick.
Repointing and brick replacement run about $600 to $2,500 as a ballpark. See the cost guide for every repair.
FAQ
Brick and Mortar Questions
If your question isn't here, call and ask. It's a quick conversation and there's no charge for it.
(431) 441-8780What's the difference between repointing and tuckpointing?
Most people use the two words for the same job, which is grinding out old, crumbling mortar and filling the joints with new. Strictly speaking, tuckpointing is a decorative style that uses a second colour of mortar to make the joints look thinner, but around Winnipeg people usually say tuckpointing when they mean repointing.
What causes spalling brick?
Water soaks into the brick, freezes and expands, and the face of the brick pops off. It means water is getting in somewhere, most often through a cracked crown or open mortar joints, so a good repair deals with where the water comes from as well as the damaged brick.
Will the new mortar match the old?
We'll match the colour and the hardness as closely as we can. New mortar usually looks a little brighter at first and settles toward the colour of the joints around it over a season or two.
How much does chimney repointing cost in Winnipeg?
As a ballpark, $600 to $2,500. A few joints near the top sit at the low end, and repointing the whole chimney above the roof with some bricks replaced sits near the top. If the top courses have to come off and be relaid, it starts to look more like a partial rebuild.
Free estimate
Tell us what your chimney is doing
Describe what you're seeing, or give us a call. We'll come out, get on your roof for a proper look, and give you a written price before anything is booked.
Rather talk it through? Call or text(431) 441-8780