Chimney masonry repair in Lake Geneva by local masons

From shoulders to the top course, Lake Geneva chimney masonry repaired with a mortar no harder than the wall, after a free check.

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Locally owned
Family owned and operated
Same-day service

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(904) 920-5495 Free Inspection

Chimney masonry experts who match the old wall

Locally owned in Jacksonville
Family owned and operated
100% satisfaction guaranteed
Free inspection and estimate
Same-day service available
10% off any service

Masonry on your Lake Geneva chimney is repaired with mortar no harder than the wall, so the brick stays the part that lasts.

Locally ownedA locally owned business answers for the brick and mortar work on your Lake Geneva chimney.
Upfront pricing, no hidden feesEach area of the stack is priced on its own line, so you can see what each repair costs.
100% satisfaction guaranteedIf the repair does not look or hold the way we agreed, we come back and make it right.

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A chimney no one has looked at in years

Chimneys sit above the roofline where nobody sees them up close, and years can pass between looks. When your chimney in Lake Geneva has not been checked in a long time, the first visit is a survey of every face, the crown, the shoulders and the attic side. Small problems caught at that point, such as a few soft joints or one cracked unit, are simpler repairs than the same problems left for years. We list what needs doing now and what can wait, in a plain order of priority rather than one large total. Describe what you can see from the yard in Lake Geneva on the phone at (904) 920-5495.

Lake Geneva is part of Clay County. Lake Geneva is an inland community.

Brick and mortar repairs for Lake Geneva homes

Water path closed before any mortar is mixed
Racked shoulders washed or capped to shed rain
New joints tooled to the old profile
Fresh joints covered from rain at your Lake Geneva home

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How our masonry specialists repair a chimney in Lake Geneva

Damage mapped by type
Soft joints, cracks, flaking faces and loose courses are marked on the stack, along with the water path behind them.
Mortar and brick matched
The mortar type is picked to suit the old wall, a test batch cures against the brick, and replacement units are sized to the coursing.
Rake, repoint and replace
Joints are raked to sound mortar and packed in layers, and damaged brick is cut out and reset.
Tooling, cleanup and cover
New joints are tooled to the old profile, smears come off without raw acid, and fresh work is covered from rain.

Soft mortar joints in Lake Geneva

Mortar is meant to be the weaker part of a wall, and over time rain wears it down to sand. Drag a key along a joint on your chimney in Lake Geneva; if sand runs out, the joint is spent.

Repointing rakes those joints back to sound mortar and refills them with a mix no harder than the wall.

10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection

Brick, block or stucco over masonry, the discount covers the repair either way.

Call (904) 920-5495 Free Inspection

Type N, Type S and the stack above the roof

The Brick Industry Association's mortar selection table covers chimneys directly. For parapets and chimneys, which stand exposed above the roof, it recommends Type N mortar and lists Type S as the alternate. Type N is an all-purpose mix with good bond and workability; Type S has higher compressive and flexural bond strength, and masons use the two interchangeably where the job's strength needs are met. What the table does not recommend for an exposed stack are the extremes: the hard, stiff Type M and the soft Type O.

We name the type so another mason could check the choice. A mortar sold as extra strong is not the upgrade it sounds like on a chimney.

Pre-hydrating mortar for repointing

Repointing mortar is mixed differently from laying mortar. BIA's note describes the steps: the dry materials are mixed, then just enough water is added to make a damp mix that holds its shape when squeezed into a ball. The mix stands for a period, and then more water is added to reach a working consistency that is still drier than the mortar used to lay brick. The stiffer mix packs into the joint more firmly and shrinks less as it cures.

The result is joints that fill all the way back, with less chance of a fine crack opening along their edges. The mix is used within its working time, and anything that has started to set is thrown out rather than retempered.

Repairs in the attic and the air gap to framing

Inside the attic and between floors, the code calls for an air space between the chimney masonry and any combustible framing, and that space may only be filled with fireblocking. Masonry repairs made from inside the attic, such as repointing an interior face, have to leave that gap clear. Mortar droppings, patching material and debris that fall into it are removed before we leave. If we find the gap already filled with insulation packed against the brick, or framing added too close, it is recorded as a clearance issue to correct, separate from the masonry work itself.

Mapped on the brick in Lake Geneva

Sand and color match, confirmed with a cured test batch
Source of replacement brick: salvaged from the stack or new
Cleaning method for mortar smears, without raw muriatic acid
The point where repair gives way to a partial rebuild

Before the joints are repointed

Will the repair match the rest of the chimney?

Mortar color is checked with a sample that has cured against the brick, replacement units are chosen for size and texture, and the joints are tooled to the old profile. The estimate tells you where the brick comes from.

Can masonry work be done in the rain?

Not well. Fresh mortar needs protection from heavy rain while it cures, so we schedule around the forecast and cover open work at the end of each day.