Tuckpointing Chimney Repair: DIY or Hire a Professional
Tuckpointing chimney repairs are a time consuming and expensive project. For an average chimney, the standard time to complete tuckpointing repairs may be around 4-6 hours, at the very minimum. It can cost a decent amount of money too. Because of the time and expense, many think of turning to a do it yourself YouTube tutorial. There are several DIY YouTube tutorials scattered across the internet, and they seem reliable. These videos usually consist of some current or ex-chimney professional showing the viewer a step by step processes of how to perform a tuckpoint chimney repair. Is it safe to follow their direction, especially if you’re careful and have a steady hand?
Briefly, what is Tuckpointing?
In the world of chimney care and repair, the word “tuckpointing” is commonly used. When a masonry wall, or the exterior of the chimney, is damaged by rain, humidity, freezing and thawing, it must be rebuilt. Often times, the mortar in between the bricks fall apart and into disrepair. A chimney experiences water damage relatively easily, and tuckpointing is a common repair.
Why not DIY?
It takes a lot of work to perform a tuckpointing chimney repair. It must be done in warm weather, in the spring or summer. First, you’ll need to remove (grind out) the cracked old mortar first. This will allow for the new mortar to stick to the chimney’s brick structure. Seems simply put, but this is a job for an experienced hand at grinding with limited room for mistakes. The chimney foundation shouldn’t be damaged in the process. After clearing out the grinding dust and debris, you’ll use a series of pointing tools to place the mortar mix into the gaps. Once the joints are mostly firm, then they must be shaped, brushed, struck and waterproofed.
This process may sound easy to the knowledgeable Chimney Professional, but it’s difficult and time consuming. It’s difficult to do it yourself, even following the steps as closely as possible. Each chimney has different needs when it comes to tuckpointing chimney repair, and a YouTube video may not be enough. A great tuckpointing job by a professional can last for a very long time: 50 or more years. It can also increase the financial and visual appeal of your home. If the brickwork on your home is of a higher quality than those around it, the financial appeal of the home is higher.
Hiring a Chimney Professional is easy. It’s best to stay away from any chimney DIY project, especially tuckpointing chimney repair projects. An extensive tuckpointing repair is better left to the professionals. A trained Certified Chimney Professional from Superior Chimney can assist your tuckpointing chimney repair needs. Buying all the expensive tools needed to tuckpoint is a hassle, and leaving the job to the professionals is most often cheaper. Plus, it’ll reduce the headache that goes into the time consuming tuckpointing process!
With the cold and humid winter season ending and warm spring starting, the weather is perfect to start tuckpoint chimney repairs. If you suspect your chimney experienced mortar damage from the harsh Chicagoland weather and needs tuckpointing chimney repair, call us today to begin with a chimney inspection at 877-244-6349.
This post first appeared on https://www.superiorchimney.net
