A well-built chimney is important for safely guiding smoke and fumes up and out of your living space, and it can add a lot to the aesthetic of your home too. Unfortunately, brick and mortar aren’t immune to the damages that weather and time can cause. And once cracking and crumbling start to occur, it’s not only unsightly… it can be dangerous, as well.

No need to fear, however – thanks to our tuckpointing services, the crew at Integrity Chimney can get your masonry back to its original strength and beauty in no time.

Why Tuckpoint?

The top part of a masonry chimney in need of new bricks and mortarOver time, water and wind can cause your chimney’s mortar to deteriorate and crack, which then leaves easy pathways for moisture to enter and build up between your bricks.  As temperatures lower in the winter, that moisture will freeze and expand, forcing any holes and cracks to widen, and leaving room for even more water to enter down the line.

When the mortar between your bricks deteriorates, so does the strength and integrity of your entire chimney. Tuckpointing is the process of removing the old dilapidated mortar and replacing it with new, strong, great-looking mortar.

All About Tuckpointing

So, you know why you need it… but what exactly is tuckpointing? And what does the process entail? Tuckpointing is a multi-step service that should always be handled by a trusted professional.  At Integrity Chimney, we have the knowledge, tools, and expertise to make sure your chimney repairs are done right.

✔️ Step 1: Removing Old Mortar

The tuckpointing job begins with removing the failing mortar between the bricks. Proper tools will help us pull out old mortar to the appropriate depth for repair.

✔️ Step 2: Cleaning the Joints

Once the old mortar is removed, it’s time to clean out the joints and prepare them to be refilled. With appropriate equipment, an expert chimney technician is able to make sure that the new mortar properly adheres to the brick and remaining mortar – so that it won’t be coming out any time soon.

✔️ Step 3: Selecting the Right Mortar

The next part of the tuckpointing process is selecting the mortar. Every chimney is different, and the composition and color of the mortar can vary considerably from one job to another.  

Choosing the right mortar for your chimney is more selecting a seemingly suitable color option from the hardware store. We study the composition of your previous mortar and match it precisely, adding adhesives and bonding agents to create an accurate color match. A professional job from Integrity Chimney will ensure that the mortar selected is exactly what you need for a durable and attractive chimney.

✔️ Step 4: Packing the Joints

Now that the perfect mortar has been chosen and produced, it’s time to pack the joints. Knowing the order in which to pack the joints – when to pack horizontally, when to pack vertically, when to scrape off excess, and when to pack in more – is truly an art and it takes professional expertise and know-how to get it done just right.

A shot of a hand using a scraping tool to smooth out mortar joints on brickwork✔️ Step 5: Tooling

After the joints are packed, it’s time to tool them. Tooling is the term used for shaping the joints in such a way that water will run away from the mortar, rather than collect inside of it. Improperly tooled joints will speed up the process of deterioration rendering an otherwise beautiful tuckpointing job useless and in need of repair.

✔️ Step 6: Curing

Now we’ve arrived at the final step of the tuckpointing process, which is curing the mortar. It can be detrimental if newly packed mortar hardens too quickly. Slowing down the mortar drying process is a procedure that will add the perfect finishing touch to a tuckpointing job well done.

Why Choose Integrity Chimney for Your Tuckpointing Needs?

It’s our goal to ensure homeowners in Lackawanna County can comfortably enjoy the benefits of having a fireplace in their home. The team at Integrity Chimney is knowledgeable and professional, and we always put your concerns at the top of our priority list.

We have more Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified sweeps on our team than any other business in the area. This training and certification paired with our exceptional communication skills guarantees your needs and concerns are always met.

When we are faced with a tuckpointing job, we bring our entire arsenal of knowledge and skill to the table. Armed with proper tools, years of experience, and impressive credentials, we’re known for tackling even the most difficult jobs – ones that other companies may turn down.

So, what can you expect during your tuckpointing service?

  • We have the proper tools and equipment to remove the old mortar from your chimney and prep the joints.  
  • We work with you as we take a detailed look at your old mortar and find the perfect-matching new mortar.
  • We bring our wealth of knowledge to the joint packing process, making sure each joint is filled in a correct and aesthetically-pleasing way.
  • We bring expertise and experience to the final steps of tuckpointing, tooling and curing the joints so that your chimney is restored to the strong and beautiful structure it was built to be.

Call Us Today

Perhaps you aren’t sure whether your chimney is at the point of repair. We would love to take a look at it and give you some honest and useful feedback. Call 570-221-4113 or reach out online now to schedule your inspection.