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Benefits of Tuckpointing
Understanding the maintenance that goes into masonry chimneys is important for a homeowner. It needs to be one of the biggest factors in a homebuyer’s decision to purchase a place with a working fireplace and chimney. If you don’t know how to properly care for a chimney, it can get damaged and hurt your ability to enjoy a fire. It could also cause thousands of dollars in repairs. In worst cases, neglected chimneys can lower the appeal of your home should you ever decide to sell it. The good news is that most chimney care isn’t overly complicated. Taking a few steps can prolong the lifespan of a masonry fireplace and chimney, leaving you comfortably soaking in warmth from beautiful fires for years.
Most chimneys will need tuckpointing at some point, and thankfully it’s relatively straightforward. Mortar generally lasts about 25 years. That’s much longer than most people will own their homes, but much shorter than the average house lifespan. Over years, rain and wind slowly breakdown the mortar between bricks. If it gets totally destroyed, or becomes too thin, it can result in bricks shifting and a weight imbalance in your chimney. So, at some point, one lucky homeowner is going to have to tuckpoint their chimney. When tuckpointing will need to be done will depend on the roof layout, and how much contact a chimney has with water. Tuckpointing is the most affordable way for homeowners to protect their chimney mortar joints.
How Tuckpointing is Done
Tuckpointing is the process whereby damaged mortar is removed and replaced with new mortar. The old mortar first needs to be routed out to make things look uniform. You may have noticed chimney cracks seem to be getting bigger and a water leak in your home every time it rains. You need to worry about the problem leading to serious water damage and expensive repairs. Fortunately, though, tuckpointing can handle the problem now and help you avoid more costly solutions later on down the road.
What are Some Benefits of Tuckpointing?
In addition to preventing the need for more costly repairs, tuckpointing also offers numerous other benefits:
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By stopping mortar joint corrosion, tuckpointing gives your chimney a longer lifespan.
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By keeping water out of your chimney system, tuckpointing can prevent serious water damage from occurring to your home. Such water damage can lead to problems like mold and rotting wood.
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Tuckpointing can impose structural stability on a deteriorating chimney.
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Tuckpointing improves the value of your home.
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After tuckpointing, your chimney will look good as new again.
How Tuckpointing Works
Tuckpointing is a process which involves routing out damaged mortar and replacing it with fresh mortar. We know how to do the job right, which means that the original shape of the bricks and mortar are recreated. The step-by-step procedure for tuckpointing a red brick chimney follows:
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At a uniform depth, route out or ground out the old mortar.
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In the newly routed grooves, fill in with mortar.
Benefits of Tuckpointing
If damaged mortar is not replaced, the chimney begins to deteriorate. The process of corrosion is stopped by tuckpointing. Here are more benefits of tuckpointing on chimneys:
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Mortar joint corrosion is halted.
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The chimney’s structural stability is restored. But if the mortar joints are not repaired, the weak chimney structure will eventually begin leaning or may collapse altogether.
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Tuckpointing helps to protect your chimney system from damaging moisture. When the mortar is damaged, water seeps into the chimney and can get between the flue lining and the chimney. A serious amount of unseen damage can occur, such as mildew, rotting wood, and mold. In addition, the moisture causes the face of the masonry to pop or flake off. Moisture can also cause the wallpaper and ceiling around the chimney to be stained.
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Tuckpointing can save you money because it is much less expensive than a tear-down and rebuild. You can avoid the expense of having to replace the entire chimney structure.
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Once the tuckpointing procedure is done, your chimney is restored to its original state.
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When your chimney is in good shape, the value of your home is increased.
Is your chimney in need of repair? Contact a chimney professional if you need repair or have questions about the condition of your chimney.