The chimney stack is the most exposed masonry on the house. It's above the roofline on all four sides, it catches driven rain and frost from every direction, and nobody looks at it closely for decades. It's where pointing fails first and where a damp patch on a bedroom wall usually starts.
What a proper chimney job includes
- Repointing the stack — all four faces, raked out and repointed in a weather struck or bucket handle joint.
- Flaunching — the sloped mortar cap on top of the stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water straight down into the stack. It's renewed as standard.
- Pots — re-bedded if loose, replaced if cracked.
- Lead — the flashings and back gutter where the stack meets the roof are checked and re-dressed if they've lifted.
- Access — a scaffold tower or roof ladders with edge protection. Not off a ladder.
What it costs
From about £550 per stack including access, more where a scaffold is needed on a steep or three-storey roof. Two stacks on the same visit is cheaper per stack than two visits.
Rebuild or repoint?
If the brick itself is sound, repoint. If the top courses have spalled badly or the stack is leaning, it may need taking down a few courses and rebuilding — which we also do. Scott will tell you which from the ground with a good look, or from the roof if it's close.
