Even solid brick and mortar erode over time as the mortar cracks and crumbles or the brick cracks and spalls. Unless these serious problems are addressed, the entire chimney could collapse and seriously damaging the house or surrounding structures. "Tuckpointing" or repairing/replacing the damaged mortar and replacing bricks are basic masonry skills. A novice with a little patience and care can fix a brick chimney as a do-it-yourself home repair project.
Things You'll Need
Hammer
Cold chisel
Plastic brush
Mortar mix
Large trowel
Small trowel
2.Clean debris out of the joints with a plastic brush.
3.Stir water into the mortar mix as directed by the manufacturer. Mix up a batch large enough for 15 to 30 minutes of work.
4.Scoop mortar onto a large mason's trowel with a smaller trowel. Slide the big trowel into the empty joint and fill it by pushing mortar in with the small trowel.
5.Set the small trowel against the face of the chimney and scrape down to remove excess mortar. Shape the wet mortar so it matches the old chimney joints.
6.Continue working in stages until all the damaged mortar has been tuck pointed.
Replacing Broken Bricks
1.Chip out the mortar holding cracked or spalled bricks in place with a hammer and chisel. Use firm, gentle taps rather than hard strikes to avoid damaging the intact bricks surrounding the brick to be removed. Continue chipping off mortar until the joints are empty.
2.Remove the cracked or spalled brick from the chimney. Clean debris out of the joints with a plastic brush.
3.Smear mortar across the bottom of the resulting space in the chimney. Make this layer as thick as the existing chimney mortar.
4.Butter the top and ends of a new brick by spreading mortar on them with the small trowel. Make this mortar slightly thicker than the old chimney joints.
5.Slide the brick into place. Set the small trowel against the face of the chimney and scrape down to remove excess mortar. Shape the wet mortar so it matches the old chimney joints.
Things You'll Need
Hammer
Cold chisel
Plastic brush
Mortar mix
Large trowel
Small trowel
Instructions
1.Chip out the cracked or crumbling mortar from the chimney joints, or the spaces between the bricks, with a hammer and chisel. Use firm, gentle taps rather than hard strikes to avoid damaging the bricks. Continue chipping off mortar until the joints are empty.
3.Stir water into the mortar mix as directed by the manufacturer. Mix up a batch large enough for 15 to 30 minutes of work.
4.Scoop mortar onto a large mason's trowel with a smaller trowel. Slide the big trowel into the empty joint and fill it by pushing mortar in with the small trowel.
5.Set the small trowel against the face of the chimney and scrape down to remove excess mortar. Shape the wet mortar so it matches the old chimney joints.
6.Continue working in stages until all the damaged mortar has been tuck pointed.
Replacing Broken Bricks
1.Chip out the mortar holding cracked or spalled bricks in place with a hammer and chisel. Use firm, gentle taps rather than hard strikes to avoid damaging the intact bricks surrounding the brick to be removed. Continue chipping off mortar until the joints are empty.
2.Remove the cracked or spalled brick from the chimney. Clean debris out of the joints with a plastic brush.
3.Smear mortar across the bottom of the resulting space in the chimney. Make this layer as thick as the existing chimney mortar.
4.Butter the top and ends of a new brick by spreading mortar on them with the small trowel. Make this mortar slightly thicker than the old chimney joints.
5.Slide the brick into place. Set the small trowel against the face of the chimney and scrape down to remove excess mortar. Shape the wet mortar so it matches the old chimney joints.
Tips & Warnings
An alternative to tuckpointing with trowels is to use a mortar bag. Fill the bag with mortar and squeeze it into the empty joints, using the bag like a pastry decorator.
The amount of mortar in a "15 to 30 minute batch" depends upon how quickly and effectively you work. A complete novice should start with just enough mortar to repair two or three joints, and then extrapolate from there. Be conservative in these estimates, however, to guard against making too much and seeing the excess mortar harden before it can be used.
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