Chimney Repair, Ottawa Masonry Case Study. Cement, concrete, Masonry contractors, bricklaying, bricklayer, brick layer, jointing, tuck-pointing and caulking services

Case Study 1 - Chimney Repair Case Study 2 - Concrete Countertop Case Study 3 - Parging Examples, Tools & Techniques Case Study 4 - Fireplace Brick Replacement Case Study 5 - Tile Installation Case Study 6 - Chimney Flue Replacement Case Study 7 - Broken Concrete Step Case Study 8 - Brick Wall Damage	Case Study 9 - Basement Window, Cut-out, installation Case Study 10 - Retaining Wall Rebuild Case Study 11 - Concrete Walkway, Landing Case Study 12 - Stone Wall Rebuild Case Study 13 - Stone Step Rebuild Case Study 14 - Fireplace Surround - Cultured Stone Case Study 15 - Stone Stair Rebuild - in Winter Case Study 16 - Fireplace Surround - Natural Stone
Case Study 1 - Chimney Repair Serving Ottawa, Orleans, Nepean, beyond... Stages of Chimney reconstruction The Assignment: Rebuild the chimney with new bricks, Replace the broken pre-cast chimney cap pieces with a cement cap, Add a flue rain-cover, Caulk the flashing, Use high-temperature caulking.for the furnace vent. The Underlying Problems: The cement was much stronger than the brick - which leads to brick breakage. The pre-cast chimney cap's seams failed.
Down to solid structure The chimney bricks are removed, down to below the flashing, then down to a secure base.
	Clean, safe site. A tarp keeps small debris from being buried in the lawn. Drop-cloths on the roof around the chimney keep it perfectly clean.
Rebuilding, cleanly Rebuilding the chimney using new brick, the right masonry cement, and a level. Note: Based on the heat, humidity, and wind of the day, we might pre-soak bricks to keep them from drawing water from the cement. Cement strength improves with lower water-cement ratios, but we don't want the brick to absorb the water from the cement.
	Cap construction A custom form for the new cap, extending over the sides by the 2 inches required by code. The black rain and critter cover is installed on the fireplace flue. It should be large and open enough to allow the flue to vent properly.
Drip-Edge secured The red tape covers a rope that will cause an indentation around the bottom of the cap, forming a drip-edge that prevents water from running underneath the cap to the bricks. The tape makes it easy to remove the form without the cement bonding to the rope. Rebar or mesh is placed in the cap help reduce shrinkage and thermal cracking.
	Two different cements The chimney was rebricked using N-type cement which is weaker than the bricks. It is proper and better to have cement fail before the bricks. The chimney was previously built with a cement stronger than brick which caused the bricks to fail first. The chimney cap is filled with Portland cement, which as the cement used to make concrete is stronger than brick. The minimum thickness is three inches with a slight slope formed in the middle of the cap to help water and snow run off. The roof remains clean.
Chimney Completed A clean roof, neat pointing, a strengthened cap.
	Building level, straight and true The steps to building a straight chimney.
True across the rows A surface to keep flat.
	No daylight between level and brick We look at the vertical aspect of each corner and check the level.
Measuring too. Every course should be the same length.

This page last modified: May 23 2010