Loose crumbling mortar between the brick joints of a chimney indicates its exposure to weather extremes have taken its toll so it’s a good idea to inspect it once a year. Tuckpointing is the process of repairing mortar brick joints and it’s an important preventive maintenance project. If mortar is left unchecked and continues to disintegrate, you'll need expensive replacement work down the road, so when you see signs of loose mortar, don’t hesitate to fix it or get it fixed.
A mason will charge $779 to repoint loose chimney mortar on a good sized chimney, about 300 square feet, but you can do the job for $175, which covers the cost of the materials and renting the scaffolding needed. The project involves repointing or replacing mortar in the horizontal and vertical joints with a mortar mix. First the joint is cleaned out and all the loose mortar and dirt are removed, then the joint is moistened and new mortar is applied in the joint to provide a permanent seal.
Climbing up to the roof of a two-story house to inspect and repair a chimney can be dicey and dangerous even for the most sure-footed so we suggest hiring out this job despite saving 78 percent by doing it yourself. However, on a one-story house with a small chimney that’s accessible and easy to work on from a ladder or low scaffold, it’s doable for a handy homeowner.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost — DIY Cost — Pro time — DIY Time — DIY Savings — Percent Saved
$779 — $175 — 24.3 — 36.0 — $604 — 78%
