Tuckpointing 101

You may not realize that tuckpointing is important to keep your chimney safe and standing. After years of winter and summer weather abuse, your chimney may show signs of mortar deterioration between the bricks. There is a term for this: tuckpointing.

What Is Tuckpointing?

The process of removing any deteriorated mortar between bricks and replacing it with new mortar. Bricks usually last much longer than the mortar that holds them together. On chimneys, tuckpointing is done on exterior masonry, focusing on areas exposed to the heaviest storms. 

What Is the Tuckpointing Process?

The process is basic but quite time-consuming, and a professional is needed to complete it. The process is removing old, deteriorated, or damaged mortar and replacing it with fresh mortar. Here are the basic steps of tuckpointing. Professionals pay attention to the mortar and brick colors to ensure they match the untouched areas. The strength and composition of the mortar are also a concern in older homes.

• Inspection to identify failed mortar joints.
• Chisel or grind out the old mortar. This is done at a uniform depth throughout.
• Joints are cleaned out of dust and debris.
• Fill the newly routed grooves with mortar.

Benefits of Tuckpointing.

• Stops water intrusion. Cracked or missing mortar is an opening for water to seep into your chimney. Tuckpointing will seal these entry points.
• Restores structural strength. Mortar holds the bricks together. When joints crumble, the stability is compromised. This process will lock the bricks in place and restore stability, preventing leaning or collapse.
• Prevent freeze-thaw damage. Water inside joints is never good. But when the weather turns, and water seeps into the chimney joints, it freezes and thaws, causing the cracks to expand.
• Extends the life of the chimney. Tuckpointing prevents brick replacement. Avoids partial or full rebuilds of the chimney. Keeps the liner, flashing, and crown from being damaged. 
• Improves safety.
• Long-term saves money. A typical tuckpointing costs much less than if you have to spend the money to correct interior water damage, replace bricks, or, in extreme cases, structural chimney rebuilding. 

An inspection by a professional chimney company, such as Felgemacher Masonry, will let you know whether your chimney is damaged and what corrections can be made.

A clean chimney is a safe chimney, and we’ll keep yours as safe and working as efficiently as possible. Our owners are certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America, a stringent industry certification held by only the best sweeps in the U.S. We remove flammable creosote from chimney flues, reducing the chance of a chimney fire. We also remove debris and obstructions that could hamper the drafting of smoke and carbon monoxide. We’ve been helping folks throughout the Buffalo, NY, and Rochester, NY areas get the most out of their fireplace inserts, stoves, and chimneys for more than 60 years. When specialized chimney service is required, count on us for the best in chimney sweep, chimney repair, chimney rebuilding, and chimney inspection.