How to Repair a Chimney
Anything that is always outside is going to need repair once in a while. Chimneys are usually built with mortar, which suffers from weathering and erosion. Repairing a damaged chimney is usually an easy task, as long as you know what is wrong with it.
Materials needed:
- Mortar
- Cold chisel
- Caulking compound
- Ball-peen hammer
- Trowel
- Safety goggles, if needed
Parts of a Chimney:
- Chimneys are made of mortar and brick. These materials could possibly disintegrate over a period of time. Any damage to these materials on the inside of the chimney should be fixed by someone that is professionally certified. However, bricks on the outside that become loose can be fixed easily by you.
- Have the chimney cleaned. To get rid of the build up of soot and trash that has built up over the last few years; get a professional to clean it. If smoke and heat build up inside of the chimney, there could be damage done to the mortar in the future.
- The most basic part of the chimney is the flue. The flue is the hollow pathway that lets burnt particles and smoke out of the house. If you are having problems with this part of the chimney, have a service technician fix it.
- The cap for the chimney is a metal covering that is located at the top of the chimney. The cap keeps weather, wind and animals out of the flue. These can easily be repaired or replaced with chicken wire, unless you have the correct parts to replace it with.
Repairing Damaged Mortar
- Get the tools together that are needed for this project. Use safety goggles if your mortar has weathered.
- Remove and sections of the mortar that have crumbled away using a chisel and a hammer.
- Use a trowel to apply and sculpt a new mortar.
- Slope the mortar that is located near the top of the chimney downward. This will help to drain water away from the flue.
- Repair any other damage that may have occurred to the mortar. If any of the mortar is weathered, use a chisel and hammer to remove the weathered mortar and replace it with fresh mortar.