I was working on a big chimney rebuild in Denver last month and a whole section of old brick just gave way.

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah, that old brick giving way is a classic sign of mortar failure. You have to check the whole structure now, because one weak spot means others are likely. I always tell my crews to brace the surrounding area before they even start clearing the fallen section. It's a safety thing, you don't want a cascade.

paige_owens52mo ago

Used to just patch spots, but your point about checking the whole thing makes total sense now.

nancyjones2mo ago

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the backache to prove it. Spot patching is such a tempting shortcut but it always comes back to bite you. You end up chasing the problem around the whole wall for months. Viola is totally right about bracing first, that's a lesson you only ignore once.