When a chimney needs rebuilding, not repair

When the masonry above the roof has deteriorated so far that there is nothing solid left to tie a repair into. At that point a patch has nothing to hold to, so you rebuild.

The part above the roofline takes the worst of the weather. It has no wall behind it, so rain, sun and frost work it from every side. Over decades the mortar turns to sand and the brick spalls until the top few feet are loose.

You can tuckpoint a chimney that is mostly sound. You cannot tuckpoint one where the brick itself is failing. When we can rock the top courses by hand, or the crown has taken the brick down with it, a rebuild is the honest answer.

Earthquakes push a lot of these over the edge. A stack that was tired already often loses its top in a quake, and that is when we get the call.

How much has to come down

Usually just the section above the roofline, and only as far down as the sound masonry.

We take it down to brick we can build on, no further. In most cases that is the exposed portion above the roof. The firebox and the run inside the house are typically fine and stay.

Matching the brick is the craft. Older Los Angeles brick came in colours and sizes that are no longer made, so we hunt for the closest match and show it to you before anything goes up.

An inspection tells us how far down is sound.

How a rebuild goes

1. Inspect and plan

   We find where the sound masonry starts and work out how much comes down. You see photos and get a fixed scope.

2. Take it down safely

   The failed section comes off in a controlled way, with the roof protected, down to brick we can build on.

3. Rebuild in matched brick

   New courses go up in brick matched as close as we can get, laid to line and properly tied in.

4. New crown and cap

   A poured crown with a real overhang and drip edge, a stainless cap on top, and flashing sealed at the roof.

Built to outlast the last one

A rebuild is the chance to fix what made the old top fail in the first place.

The original crown was probably poured thin with no overhang, which is why it cracked and let the water in. The new one gets a proper overhang and a drip edge so it throws water clear of the brick.

We also cap it and waterproof the fresh masonry, so the rebuilt section starts its life sealed against the weather that took the last one down.