Rock and stone chimney repair in Murray Hill
Loose stones or open joints on your Murray Hill chimney? Local masons find out if it is full stone or veneer, free.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
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Local stone masons who match mortar and joints in Murray Hill
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
Every stone chimney in Murray Hill is identified as full stone or veneer before we price anything.
- Free inspection and estimateWhether your Murray Hill chimney is full stone or veneer is settled on a free visit, before any price.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesStones, joints and veneer area are priced in writing one line at a time.
- Family owned and operatedOur family-owned masons approve the mortar sample with you before the first joint is filled.
Caulk squeezed into stone joints
Caulk in the joints of a stone chimney looks like a seal, but it stops the joint from drying, and water that gets behind it stays there. Over time the caulk peels, the mortar behind it softens and the stones loosen. The caulk also bonds to the stone faces, which makes it harder to remove cleanly the longer it stays.
We remove caulk from stone joints in Murray Hill, rake out the soft mortar behind it and repoint properly. Where a sealant joint belongs, such as around the flue at the crown, it stays, and the estimate says which is which.
Murray Hill is in Duval County. Murray Hill is an inland community.
Stone chimney repairs we handle in Murray Hill
- Deep stone joints raked and repointed in layers
- Veneer cut back from the roof surface
- Dry-stack veneer refitted tight
- Stone cleaned by tested, gentle methods
How our masons repair a stone chimney in Murray Hill
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Describe what moved
Tell us what has shifted or fallen, and the free visit comes equipped for it.
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Build and backing confirmed
Corners, joints and the base show the build, and a loose piece shows what is behind the veneer.
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Reset, repoint or reinstall
Stones go back on fresh beds, joints fill in layers, and veneer returns to a repaired backing.
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Matched and cured
An approved mortar sample and the old joint profile guide the finish, and the cure time is written down.
Metal behind veneer inland in Murray Hill
Lath and ties behind veneer in inland Murray Hill are not fighting salt air. Rust still forms wherever water lingers behind the stone, which is why drainage matters as much here as anywhere.
When we find rust, we trace the water that caused it before resetting the stone.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Loose stones or open joints? The stone work you book in the next three days comes 10% off.
How deep stone joints are raked
Preservation Brief 2, the Park Service's repointing guide, ties rake depth to joint width, asking for a cut two or two and a half times as deep as the joint is wide, and warns that wide stone joints can need clearing several inches back before firm mortar appears.
Stopping short leaves new mortar sitting on crumbly mortar, and it falls out with it. We rake until the chisel meets firm mortar, mostly by hand on stone, since a grinder blade can nick the edges of irregular stones. On irregular stone, the depth is checked joint by joint, since one joint may be sound an inch in while its neighbor is soft far deeper.
Where veneer meets the roof
Veneer installation guides call for a gap between the bottom of the stone and the roof surface, with flashing and the water barrier lapped so water drains out over the roofing. Stone set tight to the shingles pulls water up into the veneer, and the base of the stone stays wet.
The gap and the flashing detail come from the veneer maker's guide for the product on your chimney. Where the stone sits on the roof, we cut it back and correct the detail, and flashing work is priced on its own line. Cutting stone back at the roof is done with care for the roofing below, which is protected before any saw is used.
Ties behind anchored stone veneer
Anchored veneer is held to the chimney behind it by metal ties set in the joints. When those ties corrode or were never placed, sections of stone can bulge away from the backing even though the joints look fine.
We check for bulging and movement by sight and by tapping, and look at a tie where a joint can be opened. Where ties have failed, retrofit anchors can be drilled in through the joints, or the section can be taken down and rebuilt. The estimate explains the choice. Retrofit anchors are placed in a pattern the maker specifies, and their count is written on the estimate.
What we check on a stone chimney in Murray Hill
- Joints raked to sound mortar and filled in layers
- Crown and flashing findings priced as separate lines
- Access equipment and roof protection listed on the estimate
- Structural movement flagged ahead of any stone work
Before a stone is taken out
Why not just seal the joints with caulk?
Caulk keeps water in as well as out, so the mortar behind it stays wet and fails. Repointing with the right mortar lets the joint dry the way it should.
Will the new mortar look different?
It starts darker and dries lighter, which is why we cure test samples and compare them before work begins. The joint style is matched as well as the color.
More services in Murray Hill
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Build first, then the joints
Stone on the lawn in Murray Hill? Keep clear of the base and call (904) 920-5495.
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