No one likes to think about a chimney fire and the damage it can cause, but knowing when you have a chimney fire can save your home and livelihood. When you need to know what is chimney pointing to, you need to know what is chimney tuckpointing? Before you know what is chimney pointing to or have a chimney fire, you may lose everything.
If your chimney has burnt down completely and no longer works, you will have to remove the clay tile and the mortar from around the flue. This is the most difficult part of a chimney cleaning and repair. You will have to remove the roof first so that you can get to the clay tile or mortar. Then you will have to put on roof sheets to cover the hole and fix anything that may be damaged by the hail, wind and/or ice.
As for what is chimney pointing to? The mortar joints are basically where the mortar connects the bricks to each other. These are what hold the bricks together and they are also what makes them hold together when there is a fire and the bricks start to burn. Where the mortar joints are weak and start to crumble, that’s when a chimney begins to tumble. When there is spalling brick in your chimney pointing out, you need to call in the chimney sweep or a chimney replacement services. They will either come out with a mechanical broom and a few heavy duty chemicals or they will use a high powered suction hose to suck out all the loose bricks and mortar joints.
If there is some water damage, your chimney repointing may not be as important as you think. However, a small bit of water damage is nothing when you compare it to the amount of money that can be lost through having the chimney repaired or replaced. Not to mention how dangerous having a chimney pointed out can be if there is water damage and the bricks and mortar come tumbling down. When you call a chimney replacement company, make sure that they actually do chimney repointing and not just shoving new mortar joints down into the flue.
A little bit of old brick lying in your chimney is only a mild inconvenience compared to the potential hazard of having your chimney pointed out. There is also the question of whether you should have your brick shifted or tuck-pointed. Although many people are told to just shoo the brick away, this isn’t always the best option. In fact, many local governments don’t recommend tuck-pointing because the structure of brick can weaken over time and the chimney can be severely compromised.
Having your brick moved is one option but it isn’t the only option. There is also the option of repairing your chimney crown. If the bricks are showing any signs of rot or are falling apart, they can certainly be fixed up. However, there is no way to predict when your chimney crown will be in need of repair. If you have a clay tile chimney and someone thinks that you should repair your chimney crown, he or she will simply cut a new tile in place and call you in to put it in place. When you call to have your chimney pointed, you can expect someone who is experienced with this type of work to be able to estimate the cost of the repair.
Some people prefer to have their chimney pointing up and some prefer to have it pointing down. Regardless of which approach you take for repairing your chimney, if your mortar joints aren’t up to par and the bricks aren’t resisting the upward pressure of the hot gases that fuel a fire, it is likely that you will have to replace your mortar joints. It is recommended that the old mortar joints are replaced with new ones, because if they crack, they are more likely to cave in during a fire and cause a huge explosion.
When you are ready to hire a contractor to repair your chimney pointing, you should check the local building codes to make sure that your contractor is allowed to work on your roof. There are a number of areas that are restricted by law when it comes to having contractors work on roofs. The best approach is to get a few bids from different contractors so that you can select the one that best meets your needs. If you live in an area that requires permits, you should also get bids from your insurance company, as well as from the contractor, so that you are completely protected against any accidents while the work is in progress.
