Chimney Bricks In Attic Are Crumbling
Why is my chimney crumbling in the attic.
Chimney bricks in attic are crumbling. Sealing is usually the first course of action to help stabilize a crumbling interior brick wall that is otherwise in good condition. The flaking surface is a classic example of spalling a type of failure caused by moisture and the freeze thaw cycle. Excessive moisture in the attic. Put on safety goggles and work gloves.
How to prevent chimney crumbling brick and mortar. If your home is more than 50 years old you are dealing with old building materials that have. Bricks are typically made of clay and shale with filler materials that act as binders. You can first have a look at your fireplace hearth and see if there are crack or broken bricks.
Bricks that have been custom cut will require you to cut the new brick to fit. You can actually conduct a simple and quick visual chimney check up to help you determine if there s something that needs to be fixed. There are many different kinds of masonry sealers on the market. Mark the measurement of the old bricks on your new brick using a marker.
The brick retaining wall shown above is falling apart and it s too late to save it. Check the firebox for visually broken bricks or cracks. However the mortar that holds bricks together a mixture of cement and sand can weaken and crumble. I m guessing this is because of some long term roof leak that s made the brick soft.
Age of the brick. Repairing the crumbling mortar before the bricks fall is called tuck pointing or re pointing the bricks. Crumbling on the roof around the chimney loose or broken bricks a chimney that has begun to lean to one side white staining on the exterior masonry efflorescence. Measure the length of the damaged irregular bricks in the chimney.