Local chimney masonry repair for Lake Shore homes
Stair-step cracks and sandy joints on a chimney in Lake Shore, inspected free and repaired once the movement has stopped.
- Family owned and operated
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- Upfront pricing, no hidden fees
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Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.
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Why Choose Us
Brick and mortar specialists for Lake Shore chimneys
- 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
Repair or rebuild, you get the reasons in writing and a price for each when both are reasonable.
- Locally owned and operatedA locally owned business answers for the brick and mortar work on your Lake Shore 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.
Marking each problem by type
Masonry repair on your Lake Shore chimney begins with a map before any trowel comes out. We walk the roof, look at every face of the stack, and mark each problem by type: joints that have gone soft, units that have cracked or lost their faces, courses that have worked loose, and cracks that point to movement. Each one gets a cause beside it, because brick and mortar fail for reasons, and water is the first one we check. The estimate lists the areas with their sizes, the mortar type under ASTM C270, the brick source, and anything that has to be fixed first so the repair lasts. Loose brick or crumbling joints in Lake Shore? Ask for mortar samples when you call (904) 920-5495.
Measured in a straight line, Lake Shore is about 8 miles from Jacksonville. Lake Shore is a neighborhood within the City of Jacksonville.
What's Included
What our masonry work covers in Lake Shore
- Mortar type picked to be no harder than the wall
- Cured test batch checked against the old color
- Salvaged or matched brick sized to the old coursing
- New joints tooled to the old profile
How It Works
Map, match, rake, tool
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Water path traced first
We check the crown, the cap, the shoulders, the weather side and the flashing before pricing joints or brick.
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Joints raked, bad brick cut out
Worn mortar is raked back to sound depth, and cracked or spalled units come out without thinning the wall.
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Matched mortar packed and tooled
Pre-hydrated mortar of the type on your estimate goes in, with salvaged or new brick matched for size and color.
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Brick cleaned the gentle way
Smears come off with a brush and water while they are fresh, and no harsh acid touches the brick.
Local Conditions
Soft mortar joints in Lake Shore
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 Shore; 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 your first service when you book today
Repointing booked today for your Lake Shore chimney comes with 10% off a first service.
Water on the racked shoulders
As a chimney narrows, the brick is racked in steps, and each step is a small ledge exposed to rain. BIA's chimney note prefers solid brick laid on a setting bed over those steps. Where a mortar wash is used instead, it asks for the wash to fill each step individually rather than bridge over the whole rack in one sloped layer. A bridged wash cracks away from the brick and hides a void where water collects.
When we repair a shoulder, the finish goes back in the form BIA describes, sloped so water leaves each step. The top of each step is also checked for loose units before it is covered.
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.
Stopping the water before the mortar work
Before any mortar is mixed, the question is how water reached the damage, because a repair that leaves the water path open will be repeated. Rain gets into a chimney above the roof at a short list of places: the crown and its seal around the flue tile, a missing or damaged cap, the shoulders, open joints on the most exposed face, and the flashing. Those points are checked and closed first, or at the same time as the masonry work. They sit next to the masonry lines, so it is clear why each repair is there and what it protects.
Free Inspection
Mortar type, brick source and joint depth
- Number and location of brick units to cut out and replace
- Roof protection, ladder or scaffold access, and clean-up
- Cleaning method for mortar smears, without raw muriatic acid
- The point where repair gives way to a partial rebuild
FAQ
Masonry questions from Lake Shore
Can the masonry work go ahead while I am out?
Yes, for work on the outside of the chimney, as long as the roof is safe to reach. For a look from the attic or into the fireplace, someone needs to be there to let us in.
What if you find the chimney needs rebuilding?
You hear it from us, with the reasons written down. When repair and rebuild are both reasonable, we price both so you can compare.
Our Services
More services in Lake Shore
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Learn more about chimney masonry repairAll services in Lake Shore
Fix loose brick and mortar in Lake Shore
Mortar that crumbles under a key is worth a call to (904) 920-5495, and our masonry experts check the joints on each side of the chimney in Lake Shore.
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