Bricks Stained White
When your bricks become stained white it means that there is an excess of water within the masonry, which causes minerals and salts from inside the bricks to rise to the surface, staining them white. This process is known as Efflorescence. If you notice this sign it is important to contact a masonry repair Chicago company to carry out masonry repair, or this can progress into a much larger, expensive chimney repair problem.
Missing Mortar From Bricks
The mortar between the bricks is often the first place where you notice any damage, in your masonry. If the mortar is chipping and receding, then there is definitely a problem that needs masonry repair. Masonry contractors may perform chimney repointing to rebuild the mortar. This will slow down the decay. Without any masonry repair, water will enter the chimney through the compromised mortar joints and exacerbate the problem into a large serious problem that requires chimney rebuild Chicago services.
Crumbled Bricks and Mortar
Spalling is a masonry problem when bricks break or crumble into small pieces. Signs of spalling are: broken brick, cracks in the bricks, crumbling and the front face of the brick coming off. Spalling can happen for a number of reasons, poor quality building materials, water damage, age and even extreme weather. This is a serious problem and you need to contact a masonry contractors. If the brick repair and mortar rebuild are not possible, you will need a complete chimney rebuild.
Waterproofing
After chimney repair is performed, it is wise to waterproof the masonry, that way any damage caused by water, in the future, can be heavily reduced. At Father & Son Masonry Inc, we use waterproofing that allows water vapor to evaporate out but stops water from penetrating into the chimney. This commercial-grade waterproofing is VOC compliant and non-glossy. For any masonry or chimney repair, contact us! Our professional masonry contractors will be happy to help.
