Does My Chimney Need Tuckpointing?

Over time, your chimney will need maintenance. This can look like small tasks, such as cleaning the ash out of your fireplace or cleaning your gas burners. It can also involve annual upkeep, such as replacing a busted crown and removing creosote from your flue. Your chimney’s masonry also will need to be serviced from time to time, often in the form of tuckpointing or repointing. What is the difference and when should you choose one over the other?

The benefits of tuckpointing or repointing your chimney

Water and masonry are a bad combination. Once your brick and mortar are in place and dried, they should be waterproofed to prevent water from penetrating their porous materials. However, over time the freeze and thaw cycle will still cause cracks and gaps within your mortar joints.

One of the benefits of either tuckpointing or repointing your chimney is that you can preemptively prevent damage within your chimney structure as well as your home. The more water damage you have with your chimney, the more likely you’ll experience additional damage throughout your home. This can include leaks, mold, and even the complete collapse of the chimney structure.

Tuckpointing and repointing help to prevent this from ever happening in the first place. So what is the difference?

What is tuckpointing?

The first of these two options is called tuckpointing. This involves filling the gaps and cracks of your existing masonry with new mortar. Tuckpointing is the least involved of the two types of repair as it’s less involved and more of a “precision scalpel” method of fixing your chimney.

What is repointing?

The second option is called repointing. This involves the complete removal of your mortar joints and replacing them with new material. You’ll need more tools than with tuckpointing. Those include:

• A drilling hammer;
• Various types and sizes of chisels;
• A paintbrush, roughly two inches in diameter;
• Personal protective equipment, such as gloves, goggles, or safety glasses;
• A tarp for your roof;
• A container for you to mix the new masonry materials;
• And more.

As you can see, the process is more involved, requiring far more steps. However, each team member here at Chimney Specialists is well-trained to handle this for homeowners with ease.

Is tuckpointing or repointing necessary?

Is it really necessary to apply a tuckpointing or repointing process to your chimney? In a word, yes. Both of these are preventative repair options, keeping your chimney from experiencing further issues. Once our team completes whichever of these you need, the next step is to apply a layer of waterproofing sealant to your masonry to prevent additional damage down the road.

Servicing your chimney since 1977

All of the chimney maintenance tasks we’ve mentioned can easily be handled by a member of our team. From annual sweeps and inspections to tuckpointing or repointing your masonry and everything in between, we’re here to help.

Do you need assistance with your chimney? Then contact the team here at Chimney Specialists, Inc. by giving us a call at 608-929-4887 or by sending us a message via our website contact form.