Chimney Work

What chimney work covers

• Repointing a stack where the mortar has worn away
• Rebuilding the top courses of a stack that has cracked or started to lean
• Renewing the flashing where the stack meets the tiles
• Re-bedding loose pots and fitting caps or cowls

Why chimneys leak

A chimney sits above the roof in every bit of weather the house gets, and it's one of the few places where two different materials meet. Water gets in through gaps in the pointing, through a cracked crown on top of the stack, or past flashing that has lifted. The leak can show up a room or two away from the stack, because water runs along the timbers before it drips.

Signs to look out for

• A wet or stained patch on the chimney breast in an upstairs room
• Gaps in the mortar you can see from the street, or bits of it in the gutter
• A pot sitting at an angle, or a stack that no longer looks straight
• Staining on the ceiling next to the chimney breast

Working at height on a stack

Most chimney work needs scaffold around the stack. If the roof around it needs attention too, it makes sense to do it while the scaffold is up rather than pay for scaffold twice.