Sometimes in the masonry restoration industry you have to get creative. Take this Utmost Renovations repair project in Plain City, Ohio, for instance. The chimney on this home was definitely in need of some tuckpointing as the exterior mortar joints were deteriorating. Also, it seemed to have been partially rebuilt years before and the brick used for the rebuild was not matched to the brick that was existing. Along with an eyesore of a chimney, the bricks on the walls of this home were deteriorating, and the homeowner was not sure whether they needed to repair the bricks or replace them completely.
After consultation from Mark Huffer, the owner of Utmost Renovations, the homeowners decided to paint the whole chimney after it was tuckpointed so that the brick all matched. Mark suggested to use Sherwin Williams ConFlex elastomeric paint on the chimney, with which two coats creates a literal water barrier on the exterior of the chimney which will help prevent future damage. Also, Mark advised that the brick did not need replacement, but patching would suffice and be more economic for the homeowners, who agreed to take Mark’s advice.
Lead Mason Van Huffer (Mark’s son), was head of this project. He and his crew first spot-tuckpointed the chimney. This means joints that are open, missing, or significantly loosened were grinded out and filled back in with type-N mortar- a masonry mix that is reconstructive and will help the chimney withstand the outdoors. Van’s crew also repaired the crown in a way that would help precipitation shed off of the chimney- another preventative measure Utmost Renovations takes for their clients.
The chimney repair was only a small part of this project, however. The brick on the exterior walls of the house needed a “makeover” as well. There were over 500 bricks on the home that were spalled, meaning their surface was cracked or deteriorating. The walls of the home were cleaned and mortar joints were tuckpointed where necessary. Then, every single spalled brick was patched and stained to match the existing brick on the home. This was a tedious job that required a very detailed and experienced eye to get the brick to match it’s existing counterparts.
After repairs were finished, the masons cleaned off any excess mortar to give all new mortar joints a smooth-looking finish. Then, the painting began. Along with two coats of paint on the chimney, the homeowners requested that the same paint be used to coat the exterior trim of the home. This home not only received some necessary repairs, it looks completely renovated with a new color scheme. The homeowners were so pleased with the way Utmost Renovations repaired their brick home, they wrote a wonderful review on Angie’s List. (Read the Review)
