Brick Chimney Repair
4/23/2013 at 12:46:00 PM
My brick chimney is need of repair. The section above the roof line is bad and the section below the roof is line still looking pretty good with no broken bricks or cracks that I can see.
The section above the roof has numerous broken bricks where the face of the brick has completely fallen off. Some of the lead chimney flashing is also coming loose. The crown has cracks, no drip edge, short overhang, no expansion joints around each flue. To compound the problem the brick joints were raked.
The section above the roof line is not going to fall anytime soon so my question is this:
Is it a violation of the building code if I install siding around the section above the roof and continue to use the chimney?
It's cheaper than a rebuild but if its against the building code then I won't do it.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
4/23/2013 at 3:41:30 PM
Get it fixed, dont cover it.
Bricks falling from 10 feet can be fatal to kids, adults, animals, etc and they would all be in danger. Covering it in siding is not the answer. It will continue to deteriorate as the years go on. Water is probably already entering your home from the open splits so it could lead to further repairs inside which will cost even more money.
Imagine putting a bandage on a rusty nail wound untreated, it will eventually become hazardous.
2/7/2014 at 10:52:36 AM
Replace the damaged bricks. Redo tuck pointing to the full chimney. This will save further damage to the brick and the chimney., and it will last you another few years. Leave it to the specialist. Please. Reanchor the flashing. Fix the crown with concrete and special bonding agent added to the new cement used to fix the crown. Give the job to a specialist they do this work all the time. Sounds like if he base is fine then the grout has shifted causing the shift of the top of the chimney leading to multiple issues.
Good luck.
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