Spalling Brick Repair from Local Jacksonville Masons
Spalling bricks cut out one at a time and matched by local family masons, who count the damage on a free inspection.
- Family owned and operated
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- Upfront pricing, no hidden fees
Get Your Free Inspection
Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.
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Why Choose Us
What you get with our brick replacement
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off when you book today
A brick that has lost its face keeps drinking water, and it takes its neighbors with it if nobody deals with the cause. Our locally owned family masons cut out only the failed units, set matched brick in the right mortar, and fix the moisture problem behind them. The count and the price come in writing first and the new brickwork carries our workmanship warranty, so call (904) 920-5495 and we will count the failed bricks for free.
- Free inspection and estimateEvery failed brick is counted face by face at no charge, so you know the size of the job before you decide.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesThe count and the price for each face are written down first, and that price holds unless you approve more.
- Workmanship warrantyIf a new brick or the joints around it give trouble, the workmanship warranty applies.
What's Included
Our brick replacement work, unit by unit
Flaking, cratered brick faces mean water has been getting into the chimney for a while. Spalling brick repair cuts out only the failed units, sets matched brick in their place and starts above the damage, where the water gets in. Local, family-owned masonry specialists handle it alongside the rest of our chimney masonry repair, and counting the bad bricks is a free inspection.
- Flaking or cratered bricks cut out without loosening neighbors
- Replacement brick matched for size, color and texture
- Each new unit set in the right mortar type
- Disturbed joints around every new brick repointed to blend
- Moisture source behind the damage found and fixed
Our Process
Replacing spalled chimney brick, start to finish
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Call about the flaking brick
Tell us which side of the chimney is shedding brick, and we set a time for a free count.
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Water source traced first
The mason checks the crown, cap, flashing and any sealer above the damage, because new brick in a wet wall spalls again.
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Units cut out and reset
Mortar around each bad brick is cut by hand and the unit is broken out from the middle. A matched brick is buttered and pushed into the pocket.
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Joints tooled, first fire dated
New joints are tooled to the old profile, and you get a date in writing for the first fire once the mortar has cured.
10% off your first service when you book today
Spalled brick on your chimney? Book the replacement today and take 10% off as a first-time customer.
Repair Options
Replace the bricks or rebuild the section
The count decides the job. Scattered damage is a unit repair, and damage across a whole face is a section rebuild.
Free Inspection
What your free brick count includes
- Each unit to replace, marked by face and course
- The moisture source behind the damage, with the repair that stops it
- Where the replacement brick comes from and how the match is checked
- The ASTM C270 mortar type used to set the new units
- Repointing of the joints disturbed around each new brick
- Whether a face or the top section should be rebuilt instead
FAQ
Brick replacement questions
Is it possible to swap just the damaged bricks?
Yes, one unit at a time, as long as the wall around them is sound. If the damage runs through a whole section, we show you and price a partial rebuild alongside.
How close will the new brick match?
Close from the ground on day one, and closer as it weathers. You see and approve a sample brick before we order.
Do you handle spalling brick repair in Fruit Cove?
We do, and in Switzerland as well, since both are in St. Johns County. When you call (904) 920-5495, say which face is shedding brick, and the mason starts the free count on that side.
Which bricks get replaced, and who decides?
We mark each failed unit by face and course on the estimate, and you approve the list. Shallow face loss that can be dressed instead is marked that way, and the inspection that counts them costs nothing.
How much time will the brick work take?
A handful of bricks is short work from the roof. You get the time on site in writing, along with whether the fireplace should rest while the mortar cures.
Common Problems
Signs of spalling brick on your chimney
Brick faces flaking or popping off
The hard outer skin is gone and the softer body behind it now drinks water. Our masons cut those units out before the damage spreads.
White, powdery crust on the brick
Salts are coming out as the wall dries, which means water is moving through it. We find that water first, then replace the units it ruined.
One side far worse than the rest
Damage on one face often points to one water source, such as a crown with no overhang or lifted flashing. That gets fixed with the brick.
A crack running through the brick
If the crack stays inside the unit, the brick is replaced like a spalled one. A crack through several courses is checked for movement first.
Our Services
Other masonry repairs we handle
- Chimney Masonry RepairCracks, open joints and damaged brick repaired with matched mortar.
- Chimney TuckpointingWorn, recessed or cracked mortar joints raked out and repointed.
- Stucco Chimney RepairCracked, hollow or stained chimney stucco patched to match, over block or framing.
- Stone Chimney RepairLoose stones reset, joints repointed and failed stone veneer reinstalled on its backing.
Get a free brick count from a local pro
We mark every failed unit by face and course and price the water fix right alongside it.
Free InspectionFull service details
Why chimney brick spalls
Spalling is a brick losing its outer face in flakes, shells or chunks. The fired outer skin tends to be denser than the body behind it, and once it is gone the softer body takes on water and wears faster. One spalled unit on a sound chimney is a small repair. A pattern of them across one face is a message about water, which is why chimney brick spalling repair deals with the cause before it touches the brick.
Three causes matter most for the repair: water that keeps getting into the brick, salts that crystallize just under the face as the brick dries, and mortar or coatings that stop the wall from drying through its joints. Preservation Brief 2 from the National Park Service describes the salt mechanism, and the damage done by mortar that is harder or less permeable than the brick. More on the causes is in our spalling brick guide.
Matching replacement chimney brick
Color is only part of the match. To replace chimney bricks well, the new unit has to fit the course height and length and absorb water at a similar rate to its neighbors. A much harder brick sheds water onto the bricks around it, and a much softer one wears out ahead of them. Older brick and modern modular brick differ in size, and a unit that is slightly off shows as a crooked course or a fat joint.
Sound brick salvaged from a section being taken down is the closest match when it exists. Otherwise the estimate names a new brick chosen against a sample of yours, and one is set aside for you to see before the work is booked.
Setting the new brick
Spalled brick replacement uses mortar to ASTM C270, of a type no harder than the brick it sits against, the same principle Preservation Brief 2 sets for repointing. The new mortar has to cure before the flue puts heat against that wall, and anything below the work, from the roof covering to plantings at the base, is protected from falling debris.
Not sure how far the spalling runs? Book a free inspection at (904) 920-5495 and we will mark it brick by brick.
