Local chimney masonry repair for Northside homes

Loose top courses, open joints or cracked units on a stack in Northside, inspected free and repaired to match what surrounds them.

Family owned and operated
Free inspection and estimate
Same-day service available
Upfront pricing, no hidden fees

Call (904) 920-5495 Free Inspection

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Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.

or call (904) 920-5495

Why Choose Us

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 when you book today

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

Locally owned and operatedA locally owned business answers for the brick and mortar work on your Northside 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.

Call (904) 920-5495 Free Inspection

Mortar turning to sand

Scratch a joint with a key. Sound mortar resists and leaves a light mark; spent mortar crumbles and pours out as sand.

When the joints on your chimney in Northside fail that test, water has been working through them for a while, washing out the binder and leaving the sand behind. The fix is to rake the soft mortar back to solid material and refill the joint with a matched mix. How far the soft joints extend decides whether that is a patch on one face or the whole stack, and a simple sketch shows the extent. On the free masonry visit in Northside we trace the water path too; call (904) 920-5495.

Northside is one of the named neighborhoods of Jacksonville. Northside is in Duval County.

What's Included

What our masonry work covers in Northside

Every damaged area mapped on the stack by type
Salvaged or matched brick sized to the old coursing
Mortar smears cleaned off without raw acid
Fresh joints covered from rain at your Northside home

Call (904) 920-5495 Free Inspection

How It Works

How chimney masonry repair runs

Water path traced first
We check the crown, the cap, the shoulders, the weather side and the flashing before pricing joints or brick.
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.
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.
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

Cracks that climb the chimney in Northside

Stair-step cracks along the mortar joints are movement cracks. Some are old and stable; others are still opening as the chimney settles or pulls away from the house.

On chimneys in Northside we mark the ends and width with a date, and a crack that keeps moving points to ties or footing work.

10% off your first service when you book today

Loose brick or crumbling mortar? Book today and save 10% on your first service.

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.

No raw muriatic acid on the finished wall

Mortar smeared on brick faces during repair has to come off, and what it comes off with can do more harm than the smear. The Brick Industry Association's stain note lists straight hydrochloric acid, the product sold as muriatic, and hydrofluoric acid among the causes of white silicate scum and of yellow or green vanadium stains on pale brick. Neither stain rinses away. So smears are brushed off with clean water while the mortar is still green, within the same working day. If a cleaner is needed after that, it is a product the brick maker's guidance allows, tried on a hidden spot first and rinsed off thoroughly.

Matching brick size to the old coursing

Brick sizes have changed over the years, and a modern unit may be slightly longer, shorter or thicker than the brick in an older chimney. A mismatch of even a fraction of an inch shows as joints that do not line up with the courses beside them.

Before ordering, we measure several existing units and the joint widths, and match both. If a close size cannot be found new, salvaged brick of the right size is an option. We name the brick we plan to use and where it comes from, so the match is agreed before work begins. Where a perfect match is not possible, the closest brick is placed where it shows least.

Free Inspection

Mapped on the brick in Northside

Map of each damaged area on the stack, with its size
Mortar type under ASTM C270, and why it suits the wall
Protection of fresh joints from rain while they cure
Clearance to framing kept open where the chimney passes the attic

FAQ

Before the joints are repointed

My Northside chimney has loose brick. Can you help?

Yes. Masonry repair is part of our work in Northside, and a visit starts with a look at every face of the stack. Book by phone or through the form.

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.

Our Services