Winter weather can be brutally tough on masonry chimneys, especially here in the Chicago area. The bricks and mortar joints naturally absorb water, and when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, any water that is trapped inside your bricks and mortar joints will freeze and expand. As the weather warms up, this water will thaw out and cause your bricks and mortar joints to crack, break apart, and even become loose. Repeated freezing cycles can cause quite a bit of damage to masonry chimneys, and to best repair this damage, Aelite Chimney Specialties recommends masonry tuckpointing from our experienced masons. If you neglect to have this type of damage repaired, it can cause more problems as water from rain can easily get into your chimney through the gaps and cracks in the masonry structure. The last thing you want to deal with this spring and summer is a water leak in your chimney. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), water is the greatest enemy of a masonry chimney, which is why you need masonry tuckpointing to prevent further damage. We would like to tell you more about tuckpointing and how it can repair the damages of winter’s wrath. 
What exactly is masonry tuckpointing?
Known as the age-old art that makes the bricks and mortar look neat and tidy, masonry tuckpointing can repair crumbling and cracked bricks and mortar. This technique gets its name from masons using pointed tools to tuck mortar in between bricks. Aelite Chimney Specialties uses tuckpointing to transform the look of older chimneys and to improve the look of a poorly-designed chimney.
What can I expect from Aelite Chimney Specialties’ masonry tuckpointing services?
One of our CSIA-certified chimney technicians will first inspect the condition of your chimney and will be looking for damaged bricks, cracked mortar, and gaps between the bricks. Then, he or she will remove any damaged mortar to replace it with new mortar that has been customized to match the strength, color, and composition of the existing mortar. Our masonry technician will use tuckpointing tools to tuck the new mortar into any gaps between bricks. We will then finish the job by using tools to match the look of the original brick. You will never have to worry about our tuckpointing work looking like a patch-up job because we take great care to do this technique with a lot of thought. We recommend waterproofing your chimney after the tuckpointing work has been completed, and we offer this service with a 100% vapor permeable formula that will create a barrier against water penetration of your chimney.
What are the benefits of masonry tuckpointing?
One of the best things about tuckpointing is the durability it adds to a restored chimney. This masonry technique is also the best way to keep water from being absorbed in between the bricks, and this prolongs the life of your masonry chimney. You can trust our chimney technicians because they have the experience, tools, and attention to detail with masonry tuckpointing.
Have you noticed cracked or loose bricks on your chimney this spring? Contact us at Aelite Chimney Specialties to schedule a chimney inspection today.