Chimney Tuckpointing Can Save Your Chimney
Tuckpointing is the name for the process by which old, deteriorated mortar is removed from a chimney’s masonry and replaced with a strong new compound. When mortar is allowed to crumble away, major structural problems are sure to happen as the situation gets worse.
Since 1987, Oliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace of Huntington Beach, CA, has specialized in tuckpointing chimney repair to restore safety and integrity to our customers’ chimneys. Here’s how we can help you.
Why Does Mortar Fail?
The two main reasons we find for deteriorated mortar are:
1. Old age and the effects of fluctuating weather
2. Inferior-quality mortar used when the chimney was built or when it was last tuckpointed
In both of these cases, the deterioration is sped up by water getting into cracks and breaks in the mortar.
What Can Happen if Damaged Mortar Is Ignored?
If damaged mortar joints are allowed to continue, you could face serious problems down the line.
• Chimney may lean dangerously to one side.
• Parts of the chimney may begin falling apart.
• Entire chimney may collapse.
• Water may enter the chimney and fireplace.
After Tuckpointing
After repairing your damaged mortar joints, we can apply a quality water sealant to the entire surface of your exterior chimney. This won’t keep mortar or bricks from eventually suffering from old age, but it will keep water away from the surfaces. This in itself will add years to the life of your chimney.
Many things beyond old age and inferior materials can affect the bricks and mortar of a chimney. This is why we suggest that you have your chimney inspected once a year by one of our trained inspectors. If you use a wood-burning fireplace, we also suggest that you schedule annual chimney sweeping for safety and efficiency.
Tuckpointing Begins with an Inspection
At Oliver Twist, we perform no chimney work until we’ve completed a proper inspection.
For mortar issues, we’ll examine the entire exterior of the chimney and look for signs of collateral damage to other parts of the system.
It’s very important that you never allow a chimney company to work on any part of your chimney if all they do is a quick once-over and then tell you they’re ready to get to work. A thorough chimney inspection is necessary, even for minor chimney repair jobs.
Keep Your Chimney in Great Shape
You may have seen our brightly painted Oliver Twist service vehicles traveling along the SoCal coast from Marina Del Rey south to San Clemente and inland from Irvine to Downey CA, and in other areas. If so, we were on the way to bring safety and efficiency to another customer’s chimney.
We can be on the way to your home when you call (714) 843-9944 or reach out with our simple contact form.
Oliver Twist offers licensed chimney and fireplace services in Huntington Beach CA, Long Beach CA, Torrance CA, Anaheim CA, Santa Ana CA, Rancho Palo Verdes CA, Rolling Hills CA, Carson CA, and many more SoCal communities.