Chimney Brick Spalling Repair Restoration

Spalling—sometimes incorrectly called spaulding or spalding—is the result of water entering brick, concrete, or natural stone. It forces the surface to peel, pop out, or flake off. It’s also known as flaking, especially in limestone.

Spalling happens in concrete because of moisture in the concrete.

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Chimney Brick Spalling Repair Restoration

Heat Vapor Escape Causes Spalling

If your chimney has a old flue liner, chances are the seals between the tiles are structurally compromised. A terra-cotta flue liner has a joint seam every two feet as the line rises up the chimney structure. With cracks or gapes in the joints between the flue tiles the venting system is compromised, with out a proper seal the combustion byproducts traveling through the tiles have multiple seepage points. As this vapor seeps  out of the tiles it  continues its journey up the inside of the cavity, once resting in the top area of the chimney is starts the seeping or freezing process depending on the season seen in the photo fallowing this one.

Moisture Collection | Chimney Repair

One theory is in the frost in the picture shown here. It starts with moisture in the brick and or moisture getting trapped in the chimney chase. As the moisture slowly tries to escape from the brick as it reaches frozen elements, the molecules of water trapped in the brick freeze, they expand and that results in many fracture points threw-out the brick. Over time they deteriorate more and more through the seasons, the loose pieces will starts to break off and fall away from the chimney structure, you will start noticing pieces in the gutter some on the roof.

Chimney Water Pooling in Brinks

When water penetrates the chimney from common entry point such as a crack or chipping to the chimney crown. Once this water has pooled in the core area of the bricks it drains from brick course to brick course, at some point the water will start the seeping process. During the colder seasons its not uncommon for snow to melt during the day and freeze at night. During this freezing process the moisture trapped in the brick from the seeping moisture will expand and cause damage to the masonry materials.

Grind Out Damaged Chimney Area

After locating the damaged areas and marking bricks to be fixed, we use a 5″ diamond blade grinder to grind  roughly half way through the bricks to their core area.”As seen in photo” By getting in so deep, it ensures the bonding agent gets a strong bite into the core of the brick structure.

High PSI Air Blower Chimney Repair

This is the second step in our Spalling Brick Refurbishment process. As you can imagine after cutting through mortar with a diamond blade grinder, it leaves a drastic amount of fluffy textured mortar dust. After this process roughly 70% of the dust debris is removed, theirs still a good amount of dust clinging to the open pours created by the diamond blade. So we move on to our next step in the prepping process.

Power Wash Chimney Area 

This final step in the prepping process is key, for the fact that neither a brush nor high PSI air will completely remove all leftover dust molecules from the grinding process. This step is commonly missed with many masons. Our outlook on this is every step matters for proper adhesion. When water pressure is applied it completely clears the surface area of the brick joints, by opening up all the surface pours to ensure proper adhesion. A great analogy of skipping this step is like sticking a piece of tape on a dusty floor before using it.

Chimney Spalling Repair

Spalling is the name used to describe chimney bricks that have begun to chip, loosen or otherwise decay. A chimney full of spalling bricks can be an eyesore, but more importantly, it can be a dangerous structure to use and live around.

Spall are flakes of a material that are broken off a larger solid body and can be produced by a variety of mechanisms, including as a result of projectile impact, corrosion, weathering, cavitation, or excessive rolling pressure.

Chimney Spalling

Spalling, or the chipping and flaking of bricks and mortar, is a common issue in chimneys. It’s caused by water penetration, freeze-thaw cycles, and general weathering. Regular inspections are crucial to catch spalling early and prevent structural damage.

Repairs involve removing damaged material, selecting appropriate bricks and mortar, and applying them skillfully. Proper techniques like tuckpointing and re-mortaring ensure a strong, long-lasting fix. Waterproofing with sealants is key to preventing future spalling.

Misconceptions persist about the severity of spalling and the effectiveness of quick fixes. In reality, prompt professional repairs using quality materials are essential. Debates continue over the best waterproofing methods, inspection practices, and the role of climate change in repair frequency.

spalling-bricks

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Whether you need chimney restoration, chimney tear down service or stone and block repair, TotalChimneySolutions.com. is your premier-choice in the Twin Cities.

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Guardian Chimney Solutions LLC

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(612) 636-0277

If you are with out heat and or sense an obstruction blocking your chimney or flue do to wind water or fire, do not hesitate.

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We are looking forward to surpassing your expectations

Guardian Installers are well versed and highly prepared for the field, we undergo rigorous training to become a trusted team of fireplace inspection personnel.

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Guardian Chimney Solutions LLC. Is a owner operated company  with over a 17 years in business, we welcome you to look around our website in hopes that we can provide value to your life with information to help you through the process of choosing a contractor you can trust as well as providing insight you may use during the trouble shooting process of your project. Guardian looks forward to surpassing your expectations.

We’ve Been Building For Over 10 Years

Guardian Installers are well versed and highly prepared for the field, we undergo rigorous training to become a trusted team of fireplace inspection personnel.

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Client Testimonials

“Highly recommend Guardian Chimney Solutions - I called them on a Monday afternoon concerning a smell coming from my fireplace and they were here by Tuesday. As a new home owner, were knowledgeable and wonderful to deal with. They took the time to explain everything. Definitely will be using them if there are any other issues!.”

Cassie Letson

Homeowner

“Had raccoons in my chimney earlier this week (cute pictures attached!) and realized it was time to do something to keep them (and the bats we've previously had in our chimney) out! I called around for different estimates and checked all kinds of reviews online. Not only were Guardian's reviews the best out there but the estimate I received matched the best out of a number of other local companies. I called on Tuesday and they were out on Wednesday getting the job done. I was very impressed with the service and would happily recommend them to anyone and everyone! Thanks, and keep up the great work, Guardian Chimney Solutions!"

Greg

Homeowner

“Very responsive, timely, efficient, and expertly done. Worked hard and quietly the entire time they were on site. Finished ahead of schedule. Respectful and pleasant. If we have another chimney issue, these guys will be my only call.”

Rich Harman

Homeowner

“We had our long-neglected chimney repaired from the roof line up to the top of the chimney. Guardian ground out the mortar around the entire chimney and rebuilt the top number of rows of brick with new brick and put a new cap on the top to replace the badly cracked cement cap that was there. The tuck-pointing that they performed on the chimney and another area above a door all looked well done. They completed the job in one day, in spite of a short downpour that halted their work. They cleaned up all evidence of their work afterwards and left our yard looking like they never were there. Joe, the owner, was a pleasure to work with. He did most of the brickwork himself and repaired a part of the chimney that was unexpectedly in bad condition without charge. He was clear in his communication with us in a written proposal and priced the job more reasonably than others. When rain was predicted on the original date of work he called and let us know he had to reschedule and rescheduled for the next day, showing up on time. He was trustworthy and very easy to work with. We would certainly recommend him to others for their chimney and brick work.”

Phil

Homeowner

“Showed up on time for both estimating and doing the work. Estimate was very clear and thorough. (And less expensive than the "other guy".) Work was done in a timely manner, everyone was polite, and they cleaned up afterwards. Every company should be this good. Kudos!.”

Michael Byrne

Homeowner

“Couldn’t recommend Joe and Guardian Chimney Solutions more if you need any repairs done to your chimney. Joe took time out of his already busy day to fit me in and repair damages on my chimney so that I was up to code before closing on my house. He was timely, personable, and best of all very skilled at what he does. All in all a great experience.”

Andrew

Homeowner

“We were extremely pleased with our experience with Guardian Chimney Solutions. We had a fireplace liner installed last year and had it cleaned for the first time this summer. Both Joe and Derek were professional, friendly and and prompt. They answered all questions thoroughly and were easy to work with. We would highly recommend this company."
Lisa and Paul Pettersen

Lisa

Homeowner

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