Tuckpointing is a process in which the mortar on your chimney is repaired or replaced. The bricks on your chimney are made to last a lifetime, but the mortar tends to get damaged much sooner than that. This damage can hurt the entire structure of your chimney, which can lead to some hefty costs in the long run. Rather than letting this problem get out of hand, you can use tuckpointing to improve the life of your chimney and save yourself money at the same time. Here’s how.
How Tuckpointing Works
In tuckpointing, professional masonry contractors will grind down the existing mortar between your bricks and replace it with clean, color-matched mortar. The mortar is inserted in a way that blends seamlessly with the mortar on the rest of your home, and not of it is left on the brickwork. Think of this like re-caulking your windows once they start to leak. The process is relatively the same, but this one is a little more complex in the end. No matter what, you will get new mortar that looks great and functions much better than the old mortar.
Unexpected Benefits Of Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing isn’t just meant to extend the life of your chimney, even though that is its primary goal. This process can also act as insulation from your home by keeping out the wind that flies in through the chimney. Furthermore, tuckpointing can reduce the number of bugs that make their way into your home because there are fewer cracks for those critters to crawl through. This process will even benefit you in the winter when you use your fireplace because it will help direct the smoke where you want it to go. The benefits keep going from there.
When Should You Invest In Tuckpointing?
If you can see visible cracks in your mortar, it’s time to look into tuckpointing. You may also want to schedule an inspection for your chimney if your home is old or it has recently suffered some sort of structural damage. A lot of times there are issues in the mortar that you might not be able to see from the ground. Upon closer inspection though, a masonry contractor will be able to let you know if it is time for tuckpointing or not. Spend your money on the right maintenance early on, and you won’t have to worry about big expenses in the future.
