This stone chimney on a Shingle Style cottage had a significant vertical crack nearly five feet long that had been badly patched with inappropriate mortar. The newer mortar had, predictably, cracked as well and helped trap moisture in the assembly, speeding its deterioration.
At the root of the problem was the arrangement of stones on this side of the chimney when it was built. They did not “tie” across the center of the chimney sufficiently to prevent separation of the outer side of the structure.
In repairing the crack, the original flaw was corrected by partially disassembling the chimney and rearranging the stones to properly tie the two sides together. A custom natural cement mortar mix was ordered to exactly matched the original mortar and the entire chimney was repointed. A new copper cap will help prevent water infiltration issues in the future.
Appropriate masonry repair for historic houses is covered in Chapter 12 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners. The 720-page best selling hardcover book is available in bookstores and from online retailers (it is currently 31% off on Amazon! http://ow.ly/N7ba50y4PSL).
Signed copies are available directly from the author on this site.
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