Chimney Rebuilds

Chimney Rebuilds in Aylsham

Chimney stacks on Norfolk properties take a constant battering from wind and rain, and the mortar pointing deteriorates faster at that height than anywhere else on the building. Once the pointing fails, water gets into the brickwork, freezes in winter, and spalls the brick faces. Left long enough, a stack can become structurally unstable. Lime mortar stacks on Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Aylsham are particularly vulnerable if they have been repointed at some point with hard cement, which traps moisture instead of allowing it to escape.

A chimney rebuild involves erecting a scaffold tower or platform for safe working access, then taking the stack down to a sound course of brickwork. We rebuild using matching or closely matched brick where possible, bed the courses in an appropriate mortar mix, fit a new flaunching at the top, and set the pots. We also fit new lead flashings as part of the rebuild, because the old ones cannot be reused once the stack is dismantled.

Attempting chimney repairs from a ladder is not safe and usually leads to a partial repair that fails again quickly. Scaffold access gives us room to work properly and inspect the full extent of damage before committing to a scope of work.

We will tell you before starting whether a full rebuild is necessary or whether repointing and a new crown will be sufficient. Some stacks only need work above the flaunching; others need to come down four or five courses. The scaffold is typically in place for two to four days for a standard stack rebuild.

A partial chimney rebuild on a typical two-storey Aylsham property, including scaffold and new lead flashings, usually costs between £1,200 and £2,500 depending on the height of the stack and the extent of the work.