Louisville’s Best Chimney Rebuilding Service

When a chimney needs to be restored or rebuilt, it is important to rely on chimney experts who know the type of masonry work and materials that ensure proper operation and safety of your fireplace. Chimney rebuilding is a chimney service Louisville Chimney Sweep & Repair, LLC specializes in. The owners in this family business are 7th-generation masons who bring quality, integrity, and expertise to the chimney sweep industry.

Tuckpointing

Chimney tuckpointing is a type of repair that can often prevent the need to completely or partially rebuild a chimney. Tuckpointing is also referred to as repointing or pointing. When mortar joints between chimney masonry begin to crack and break off, moisture can easily get into the masonry. Bricks are very porous and absorbent. When masonry bricks contain excess moisture, they expand and contract during freezing and thawing cycles in winter. The movement creates undue stress and loss of integrity in the masonry and causes spalling, which means the face of the brick pops off and breaks.

It’s best to repair deteriorating mortar as soon as it begins to show signs of wear. As long as the depths of the compromised masonry don’t exceed the restoration capabilities of chimney tuckpointing, a partial or complete chimney rebuild can be avoided.

Tuckpointing involves removing old mortar and then replacing it. When this type of chimney repair is done by a professional, like the experts at Louisville Chimney Sweep & Repair, the chimney ends up looking like new and has like-new strength and stability.

Chimney Rebuilds

There are various classifications of the most common types of chimney rebuilds, and the following are the basics:

Partial Chimney Rebuild

A partial chimney rebuild involves a small chimney or only the top few courses plus a chimney crown on a large chimney, with no scaffolding needed. There is also usually some tuckpointing done below the rebuilt portion.

Flashing-Up Chimney Rebuild

When restoration with chimney tuckpointing isn’t possible due to substantial mortar and/or brick deterioration, the chimney structure may need to be torn down to the flashing near the roofline. Afterward, the chimney is rebuilt, along with a new chimney crown. For chimneys on an outside wall of the home, there may also be a need for tuckpointing below the rebuilt portion.

Complete Chimney Rebuild

When a chimney has severe mortar deterioration, is leaning, or has severe spalling from the ground level up, a complete chimney rebuild is necessary. Two of the most common reasons a chimney rebuild is needed are:

• Improper or repeated chimney tuckpointing, and

• An improper chimney rebuild, which is why it’s important to hire chimney professionals the first time.

The chimney is first torn down and then entirely rebuilt, along with a new chimney crown, which helps to protect the masonry from moisture. The hearth, smoke chamber, and firebox do not usually need to be removed and rebuilt during a total chimney rebuild.

Contact the Chimney Rebuilding Experts

Call Louisville Chimney Sweep & Repair at (502) 410-4019 for chimney construction and every type of chimney service that may be needed, including a high-quality chimney rebuild.