You may have noticed that as the years go by, your chimney looks less like a straight and tall smokestack and has begun to more closely resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  But rather than turning it into a tourist attraction, it may be time to think about addressing the problem.  

A leaning chimney is a serious problem.  Aside from the obvious dangers of a brick chimney falling over and landing on someone, there are other hazards like a cracked chimney liner that lets gases into your home.  When there are cracks and damage to masonry, damaging water can get in, and so can uninvited insects.   

If you’ve been in denial about your leaning chimney because you thought an all-out chimney replacement was waaaaay out of your budget, have no fear.  In most circumstances, a leaning chimney can be repaired for less than a chimney tear-down and rebuild.  

When masonry chimneys are installed, they are placed on a chimney footing, poured level concrete meant to support the heavy weight of the chimney.  But sometimes it doesn’t.  It may not be big enough, it may be too shallow (making it vulnerable to winter frost heaves), improper stormwater drainage may have caused deterioration, or the original concrete may be of inferior quality.  In some cases, a footing was never installed in the first place.

Older homes are more susceptible to leaning chimneys because past building standards are not what they are today and grout deteriorates over time and can crumble, impacting the stability of the structure.

When a chimney leans, it either goes away from the house or toward the roof, both scenarios are dangerous.  A leaning chimney may be an indication of foundation or structural damage.  Generally, if the lean is away from the house it may mean foundation problems,  whereas one that leans toward the house tens to mean structural issues.   

The main way that leaning chimneys are repaired is by using helical piles to support the structure while using hydraulics to lift the chimney back into place and bracing it.  And of course, whatever the cause for the chimney lean in the first place will have to be rectified as well. 

Once your chimney is standing straight and tall again, tuckpointing can restore the look of any brick that may have been damaged by the lean or the repair.  Tuckpointing is the process by which old mortar is removed and replaced with new mortar that closely matches the brick.  Then mortar that matches the existing mortar is applied, leaving a crisp, clean mortar line that makes the repair blend in well with the rest of the chimney. 

Marlon Tuckpointing does chimney repair and can find and fix your leak, quickly and efficiently.  We provide tuckpointing and masonry services to the St. Louis area including complete and spot tuckpointing services as well as chimney repairs, caulking, waterproofing, brickwork, and repairs to chimney caps and flashing.  For questions or a free estimate call Marlon Tuckpointing LLC at (314) 496-9067.