Tuck-pointing a brick chimney

Tuck-pointing your chimney is a fairly cheap and fast solution when it comes to repairing a brick one. Tuck-pointing is necessary if the chimney shows these signs of damage:

  • Loose bricks
  • Loss of most of the mortar
  • Large pieces of loose mortar
  • Split bricks

Tuck-pointing process

  • You will need some tools and materials like: N type masonry cement, a bucket of sand, a small 1 pint pail, a pastry bag and a mortar mixing tub.
  • Remove loose chunks of mortar
  • Mix 2 parts sand and one part cement in a masonry tub.
  • After mixing, pour water and mix again until it reaches the right consistency. You will know when that happens following a few tips: the mortar sticks to the trowel when it is upside down or sideways, but slides if held sideways and it is given a flinging motion.
  • Make the end of the pastry bag 3/8″ in diameter by trimming it
  • Place the pastry bag deep into the holes of the brick chimney and squeeze the contents out after you spray the area with water.
  • The masonry mustn’t be completely wet, just saturated and kept damped.
  • Last thing you should do is smooth out the mortar
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