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Chimney Repair

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Chimney Tops

 

The cement cap and the top two feet are the most important part of the chimney because this is the most exposed to the weather and always the first area to deteriorate.

 

Over time the cement cap can develop cracks and it can also lose its cementatious value, causing it to turn sandy.

 

This chimney has several faults, all of which were initiated with water intrusion.

 

1. The cement cap is cracked and sandy.

2. The cement cap is lifting up from the top row of bricks, creating a gap for more water to intrude.

3. The bricks are spalling. "The face of the brick has separated from the brick itself".

4. The mortar joints are too deep, leaving the tops of the bricks exposed to standing water.

5. The mortar joints are turning sandy and deteriorating

 

All of these scenarios are possible entry points for water. I recommend replacing the cement cap every 20 years.

 

Much of my work comes from inferior brick such as Old Chicagos and Sandlimes.

 

Wide Chimneys are very susceptible to Water Damage as they are a large target for rain water.

 

Raincaps are available for installation on top of fireplace flues and screens for above the furnace flues.

This photo shows a chimney with a section cut out to make the different parts of the chimney visable. The flues are seen inside the bricks & cap
Chimney before repair. Bricks are crumbling and the top half of the flues are visible. Huge cracks down the remaining portion of chimney.
The chimney after we tore down the original to the ground and complete rebuilt a new chimney. We did not put stucco back on as it traps moisture
A spiral chimney we built.
A view of the spiral chimney from the ground.
A chimney downtown that we repaired the top several courses and tuckpointed the remainder of the chimney. American flag in foreground.
A chimney we rebuilt form the roof up following the original corbelled design.
A chmney we tuckpointed from the ground up to match the original mortar color. This stops moisture from entering and doing further damage.
A chimney we tuckpointed to restore it to its original condition and stop water intrusion.
A chimney we rebuilt from the roof of the house back up to its original height. It has a 2 course corbell so water doesn't run down the chimney.
Chimney we were asked to rebuild after being hit by lightning. They had fastened the sides which was the only thing keeping it from faling down.
The chimney while were were working on it. We had to make a structure around the area we were working to access they chimney and protect it.
Chimney after rebuilding the top 23 feet.

The chimney was hit by lightning. The top 23 ft. was rebuilt with matching brick and the following 20 ft. below had the mortar joints ground and tuckpointed.

A chimney we tuckpointed to restore to its original look and condition.
A chimney we repaired and tuckpointed to stop water from getting in and to improve how it looked. Repairs are not noticable.
The scaffolding constructed around the large chimeny we took down and completely rebuilt, lit up at night by flood lights.
This shows the scaffolding set up to tear down and rebuild the chimney as well as do other repairs.
This is a photo from before we repaired the chimney. Most of the mortar joints on the top and corners are empty and some bricks spalling.
We set up scaffolding from the ground to transport materials and haul down brick from the old chimney.
The chimney repair is not noticable as the brick match perfectly with the rest of the building as well as the mortar joints.
Two chimneys side by side that we rebuilt each of. Each has a corbelled top, meaning the bricks stick out so water doesn't run down the chimney
Another view of the chimneys which allows you to see the cement cap that has a gradual slope making all water run down instead of pooling.
We rebuilt these chimneys that are side by side using new bricks.
A chimney we rebuilt to match the original design of the building incoporating new brick and matching stone.
Chimney that was rebuilt form the ground up following the orignal design and using new matching bricks.

Rebuilt from ground up, 1994                                                Rebuilt from ground up, 1988

A chimney we tuckpointed ot increase its durability and resilience to weather conditions.

Before

After

LaSalle Avenue roof view and street view.

This chimney was leaning away from the house due to an inadequate footing.

The chimney was removed to the ground as well as the foundation and footing, before it was determined why the foundation failed below the chimney.

After installing a proper foundation, the chimney and both fireplaces were then rebuilt.

We used a more durable brick than the high maintenance Used Chicagos.

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