Fixing it before
it becomes a rebuild
Cracked crowns, failing mortar joints, and spalling brick all start small. Caught early, most of it is a repair rather than a rebuild.
Crown, mortar, and spot repairs
We handle crown resealing and rebuilding, tuckpointing deteriorated mortar joints, flashing repair, and spalled brick replacement: the repairs that stop water getting into the structure in the first place.
We've handled everything from a single cracked crown to a stack with a full-height separation crack at the house wall. Every job gets priced after we've actually seen the damage.
What this prevents
- Water tracking into the wall and rotting the framing behind the brick.
- A $400 crown crack becoming a full rebuild after two Michigan winters.
- Loose brick coming off a stack above a driveway, a walkway or a neighbour.
Signs you need this
Visible cracks in the crown, crumbling or missing mortar between bricks, white efflorescence staining, brick faces popping off, or water stains on the ceiling near the chimney.
Run the estimate worksheet →What repair looks like in practice
Crown repair
Sealing hairline cracks, or rebuilding a failed crown so water sheds away from the flue.
Tuckpointing
Grinding out and repacking deteriorated mortar joints, course by course.
Spalling brick
Replacing brick faces cracked or popped off by freeze-thaw damage.
See a crack or crumbling mortar?
Run the worksheet for a ballpark range, or call (313) 364-1744.