REPOINTING
 

Repointing means grinding out a mortar joint no less than a 1/2 inch deep and 3/8 wide. The dust is then cleared off and new mortar is tuck pointed in place or it can be filled using a grout bag then finished jointing with whatever style joint we have to match, rake, concave, ect. The joints are then cleaned up with a soft horsehair brush to clean off the brick and help hide any imperfections. A lot of repointing jobs that other companies do look nice but when it dries the color is a lot lighter and doesn't match. We use colored mortar when needed to make sure it is as close to a match as possible. We also add a bonding agent to the mortar to help it to adhere better. You may have a single brick that needs to be replaced. we do this by chipping the old one out with a chipping hammer or chisel. When the mortar joints and damaged brick are removed we rinse all the debris off the chimney. This also wets the brick helping the curing process on hot days or with dry brick. Repointing is never as good as relaying the brick and rebuilding it but sometimes it is your  best option. For example if the top of your chimney is in good shape but farther down you may have some mortar joints missing It would be alot more cost effective to repoint. If you chose to go with the repointing option in addition to the bonding agent we also recommend a water seal to help prolong its life.