Chimney Brick Replacement by a Local Crew
Spalling is when the face of a brick flakes or pops off, leaving the softer inside open to rain. One bad brick lets water into the wall around it. Instead of rebuilding the whole chimney, we cut out the damaged bricks one at a time and set new ones that match the old size and color.
About Brick Replacement
A brick fails from the outside in. Water soaks into its pores, freezes on a cold night and expands, and the hard fired skin on the face shears off. That is spalling. Underneath is softer, more porous clay that drinks water even faster, so a spalled brick loses its next layer sooner than the first. The open face also lets water into the joints around it, and a cluster of damaged bricks soon becomes a wet section of chimney.
Prewar chimneys from Brooklyn to the Main Line were laid in softer brick than modern units: sand-struck, wood-fired or early machine-made, in sizes that no longer match standard modern brick. Those bricks hold up for generations in a soft lime mortar. Trouble begins when earlier repairs set them in hard cement mortar, or when the chimney was painted or coated. With no other way out, moisture leaves through the brick face, and the face breaks off.
Replacing bricks one at a time keeps the rest of the chimney undisturbed. The joints around each damaged unit are cut out by hand or with a narrow blade, the old brick is broken out without levering against its neighbors, and the new brick is buttered on all sides and set flush. The mortar is chosen to be softer than the brick so the joints, not the bricks, take future stress. The cause of the damage is found and fixed at the same time.
What Our Crew Does
- Every face of the chimney surveyed and damaged bricks marked
- Brick size, color and texture recorded for matching
- Joints around each marked brick cut out without widening them
- Damaged bricks broken out carefully, leaving neighboring units tight
- Replacement bricks buttered and set flush with the wall face
- Mortar mixed softer than the brick and tooled to the existing joint profile
- Water source behind the spalling identified: crown, cap, flashing or coating
When to Call Us
- Brick faces flaking, crumbling or popping off
- Pieces of brick on the roof or the sidewalk
- Bricks with deep holes or cracks right through
- Bricks that wobble when you press them
- Spalling right below the crown
How the Job Goes
- Mark the bad ones
We go over the chimney brick by brick and mark the ones that are spalled, cracked or loose.
- Cut them out
The mortar around each damaged brick is cut away and the brick removed without disturbing its neighbors.
- Match and set
New brick is matched to the old in size, color and texture, and set in a mortar softer than the brick.
- Look for the cause
If water is getting in from the crown, cap or flashing, we tell you, so the new brick does not spall too.
Your Options
Chosen from current production by size, color and surface texture. The quickest route when a close match exists.
Salvaged from older buildings, often the closest match for historic homes. Each brick is checked for cracks and soft spots before use.
Sound bricks taken from a face of the chimney nobody sees, then replaced there with new ones. Puts the exact original brick where it shows.
A mineral stain brushed onto new brick to bring its color closer to weathered old brick where no match is available.
What Affects the Cost
- How many bricks are damaged and how they are spread across the stack
- Where they sit: top courses and corners are slower to replace
- Sourcing brick in older, nonstandard sizes or colors
- Matching mortar color and joint profile
- Repairs to the crown, cap or flashing that caused the spalling
- Staging around the stack on a steep or high roof
Every job starts with a free written estimate, so you know the price before we start.
When It Cannot Wait
- Brick pieces landing on walkways, cars or the roof
- Holes deep enough to see into the core of the chimney
- Loose bricks in the top courses or at the corners
- Spalling that has spread noticeably since last winter
Make It Last
- Repair the crown, cap and flashing so the brick is not soaked from above
- Keep paint and film-forming sealers off the chimney
- Apply a breathable water repellent where the brick absorbs water readily
- Keep de-icing salt away from the base of an exterior chimney
Questions About Brick Replacement
Why do bricks spall?
What if my brick is no longer made?
Is this the same as tuckpointing?
Will the new bricks look new?
When does a rebuild make more sense than replacing bricks?
Can bricks be replaced on a painted chimney?
Guides From Our Crew
Why Are the Bricks on My Chimney Spalling?Spalling means the outer face of a brick is flaking, peeling or popping off in chips.
What Causes Chimney Bricks to Crumble and Fall?Chimney bricks crumble and come loose when the mortar holding them wears away and water works into the masonry.
What Kind of Mortar Is Used on a Chimney?Above the roof, brick chimneys are usually repointed with a Type N or Type S masonry mortar, picked so it is softer than the brick around it.
Repairing a Chimney on a Historic or Landmarked HomeHistoric chimney repair keeps as much original masonry as possible and matches whatever has to be replaced: brick size and color, a mortar softer than the old brick, joint width and profile, and the shape of the top.
What Is the White Residue on My Brick Chimney?That white, chalky powder is efflorescence.
How to Clean Stains Off Chimney Brick, GentlyClean chimney brick with the gentlest method that lifts the stain: a dry soot sponge or a stiff nylon brush first, then clean water and a masonry cleaner matched to the stain.
Why homeowners call Pro 1
18,000+ Chimney Jobs. One Standard.
15+ years and 18,000+ chimney jobs taught us what homeowners want: a crew that shows up, explains it plainly and leaves the house as clean as they found it.
$500 OFF any chimney service
- Our own local crews
The people at your door work for us and live in the area. We never send subcontractors.
- Licensed and insured
Your home and our crew are covered on every job, from a sweep to a full rebuild.
- Free written estimate
You see what we found and what it takes to fix it, in writing, before any work starts.
- Upfront pricing
The price we write down is the price you pay. No hidden fees and no surprise add-ons.
- Fast response
Open 24 hours Sunday to Friday, with a real person on the phone and same-day visits when we can.
- Clean, careful work
Floors and furniture covered, the roof and yard cleaned up, and a walk-through when we finish.
Limited time offer
$500 OFF
Any chimney service. Mention it when you call or book online.
Simple from the first call
How It Works
- Your callCall, text or book online
Tell us what you see or smell. A real person from our team answers and sets a time that suits you.
- The visitFree chimney inspection
Our own crew arrives in a marked Pro 1 van, covers the floor and inspects the chimney from the firebox to the cap, free of charge.
- The estimateFree written estimate
We walk you through what we found, in plain words, and put any repair in writing before work starts.
- The workThe job, done right
We do the work, clean up the roof, the yard and the room, and walk you through the finished job.
Book before the holidays. Fireplaces get their heaviest use from Thanksgiving to New Year. A free inspection now catches nests, creosote and cracked flue tiles before the first big fire and the family gatherings.
Book My Free InspectionGet a Free Estimate
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