Chimney brick rotting after professional paint job and flashing damage
Comments (13)
kym
5 years agoHere is the product they used. Here is the brick that is coming off. It is t peeling paint though it is actual pieces of brick.
Thanks so much!
PROVirgil Carter Fine Art
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Would You Paint Perfectly Good Brick?
Comments (37)Agree you should leave the brick as-is, especially since it's in good condition. It's lovely, and with the improvements you are making to the trim and porch it will be great. I agree with awm03 - have someone help you with landscaping. If you look at your inspiration photos, what makes those homes sing is the beauty of the bones of the landscaping (the 'green') against the homes. Even something portable in pots on the porch and at the bottom of the steps like topiaries with ivy would be lovely. I'd also re-think planting more trees. In the long run they will be someone else's problem, but I really hate to see large trees planted in the hell strip or hiding the view of a lovely house. Stick your money instead into some substantial foundation plantings and around the side and leave the small lawn in front....See MoreRoof flashing repaire - a big deal????
Comments (8)Sorry to have to bump this thread. I hired a local company to build completely new crowns, repoint numerous spots on the chimneys, and recaulk all of the flashing. He came today and started the work. Accord to wunderground, the high temp. here today was 52F. But we cool off quickly and by the time I got home it was only 30F. Now it is 28.6F. I assumed these people were professional. They are state licensed. Now, that I actually have time to bother reading about repointing, it seems they should have completely wrapped the chimney in blankets. I aimed a work light up there. From what I can see there is no evidence they made any effort to shelter the mortar. Not even with plastic. WTF? Is this bad news? At least, from what I read, cold damage will be evident in only a few days. I guess I'll have to climb up on the roof myself and check it over the next few months. Has anybody had this kind of experience and know whether they are being sloppy or not?...See MoreTuckpointing and brick repair on Chimney
Comments (34)I appreciate this thread as it tells me I am not alone I added a 2nd floor to our 1954 house in 1986, extending the existing chimney another 10-12 feet up, using new bricks. Around 1995 we began to have problems with pieces of the new bricks coming down, (which I gather from this thread is called "spalling".) I was told it was due to water in the bricks freezing in our NE winters and expanding to break the bricks. I resealed the bricks myself in 1996 and 2002. (It got the sealant all over our vinyl siding - but that's another story.) In 2003, as the problem was worse than ever, I paid $2,400 for pros to come in and repair it "right" with staging: they replaced the top 6-7 rows, replaced broken 4-6 miscellaneous bricks below that, and resealed the whole chimney. (My original bricks from c. 1954 are all fine. The pros told me that there was a problem with the batch of bricks made in 1986 - they had seen it elsewhere. But I am dumfounded by that explanation.) I thought I was fixed, but now in 2009 I have about 5 broken bricks. It looks like this chimney is just going to be my nemesis for life....See MoreRoof leaking due to antique bricks? (X-post with Bldg a Home)
Comments (11)No mistake, I think klem is just saying that it may take more than what you can get here. In any case: I'm an amateur but it seems to me that even antique brick on a vertical wall or chimney should not be so porous as to be able to transmit enough water to cause dripping. One problem we have is that we can't see anything and don't know where the leak or the drip are occurring. It is very possible for leaks in roofing, flashing etc. to be missed. I had a small roof leak that we just could not figure out. Turned out to be a plastic roof peak vent that had a small crack when it was installed. When it rained hard enough, water could get through and drip into the attic. I fixed it myself with a dab of clear caulk. It was missed by at least one roofing guy though - the flashing and everything looked OK. The top of a brick chimney is horizontal so water can sit up there and run into any cracks in the brick or mortar, so watch for that. I wish I had more for you but just make sure they are looking very closely at things....See More
PROFlo Mangan
5 years ago
worthy
5 years agokym
5 years agoThis is how the flashing looked after they came to repair it today (it was redone new this summer and wind took part of it off.
- PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago worthy
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoYour flashing resembles the "before" shots in a roof repair guide.
Here's what flashing is supposed to look like. The visible cap or side flashing is integrated with step flashing and base flashing. The cap flashing should be placed in the mortar--the roofer removes one inch of the mortar with a grinder or circular saw, places the flashing and then caulks it.
Source: Carson & Dunlop Home Inspections******
Funny how, in my experience, roofers get away with more crap than any other trade just because who the heck wants to climb a shaky ladder onto their roof!
PROSpringtime Builders
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoWhat a bummer. Chimney's design looks attractive though being on exterior wall, doubt the draft is very strong. Guessing that's why height was added.
Agree you need a third party professional who specializes in this type of evaluation. The metal roof work looks great but the weakness of most above roof masonry is the flashing.
Best practice veneer masonry flashing features through-wall designs. It's not rocket science but tough to find the right craftsman and more expensive to do it right.
Most projects use the cheap version, saw cut reglet counterflashing which is probably what you have.
Your tall chimney provides plenty of opportunity for water to make it through the surface of the brick. The water could be coming in at the chimney cap or pinholes/gaps in the surface coating. It seems like the brick might have held too much moisture at the time of it's paint job. If it's redone, allow the striped brick to fully dry and coat after warm, dry weather.No one wants to hear it but the best thing to do with chimneys is stop using them and tear them down. Eliminate indoor combustion pollution, water leaks, air exfiltration and all future maintenance.
worthy
5 years agothe best thing to do with chimneys is stop using them and tear them down
I have so informed Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Windsor Castle Chimneys
- PRO
Springtime Builders
5 years ago kym
5 years ago
Mark Bischak, Architect