Just realized my string line was off by a quarter inch on a chimney rebuild in Akron, so I had to pull down the last three courses before the homeowner came home for lunch.

Has anyone else had a close call like that where catching a small mistake saved a huge headache later?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles2110d agoTop Commenter

Spot on about that quarter inch. That tiny error compounds with every course you lay. By the time you hit the top, you're looking at an inch or more out of plumb, and the whole chimney looks wrong. Catching it early is the only way to avoid a total tear down later. It's not just about looks either, a crooked chimney can cause draft issues and even become a safety problem. That quick fix before lunch saved a massive rebuild and a very unhappy client.

price.ben9d ago

My old boss used to say a quarter inch at the base is a foot at the cap. @the_thomas is right, it's massive. That kind of error just gets worse the higher you go, no way around it.

the_thomas10d ago

A quarter inch on a chimney is a huge deal.

ray_williams2d ago

Come on, a quarter inch? Over how many feet? On a short chimney that's nothing. Mortar joints can hide a lot. Seen plenty of old chimneys that aren't perfect and they still work fine. Sometimes we get too hung up on being perfect when good enough is actually fine.