If you are arranging a chimney rebuild in Littleport and want to know exactly what the process involves from start to finish, this page walks through each stage of the job.
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A chimney rebuild is not a job most homeowners go through more than once or twice in a lifetime. Knowing what happens at each stage - what decisions need to be made, what the site will look like, how long each phase takes and what you should expect to see when it is done - puts you in a much better position to judge whether the work is being done properly.
Downham Market Roofers carry out full chimney rebuilds serving Littleport and the surrounding area. Here is a straightforward account of how the job unfolds.
Before any prices are discussed, the chimney needs to be properly looked at. A ground-level inspection using binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens will reveal a great deal: visible lean, open mortar joints, spalling brickwork, cracked flaunching, a displaced pot or staining on the surrounding roof tiles. This is usually enough to confirm that a rebuild is needed rather than a simple repair.
To confirm the extent of the rebuild - specifically, how far down the stack the damage runs - the roofer should either access the roof or erect a small scaffold. Looking at the brickwork at close range is the only reliable way to establish where the sound masonry begins. A rebuild that starts too high will leave failing brickwork in place; one that goes lower than necessary costs more than it needs to. The assessment is about finding the right starting point.
At this stage you should also be told whether any work is needed to the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, whether the existing pot is salvageable, and whether the flue needs capping if it is not connected to a working fire.
Scaffold is required for any chimney rebuild. There is no safe way to carry out structural brickwork above roofline level without a proper working platform - it is not a job done from roof ladders. For a standard two-storey property, a scaffold tower or tube-and-fitting scaffold is erected to give safe access to the full height of the stack.
The scaffold typically needs to be in place before materials are ordered, because the close inspection from scaffold level sometimes reveals that the rebuild needs to extend further than the initial ground assessment suggested. Scaffold also needs to be in place for the duration of any decent mortar curing period, so it is usually on site for several days minimum.
This is a good moment to think about whether any other roof work - slipped tiles, a ridge that needs attention, a failing valley - should be addressed at the same time. The cost of scaffold is the same whether it is up for one job or three, and getting additional work done while access is already in place saves significant money compared to bringing scaffold back.
The pot and flaunching are removed first. The pot is carefully lifted clear; if it is undamaged and a good match for the house it may be reused. The flaunching is broken out entirely - it cannot be patched and will need to be rebuilt from scratch at the top of the new stack.
Bricks are then taken down course by course to the point where the masonry is structurally sound. Each course of bricks removed is inspected as it comes down. Occasionally the roofer finds that damage extends further than the initial inspection suggested, and the starting point for the rebuild moves down accordingly. Occasionally it is shallower. The honest position is that the final extent of the work is not always known with complete certainty until the demolition is under way.
Debris - broken bricks, old mortar, fragments of flaunching - needs to come off the roof carefully to avoid damaging tiles. A debris bag or chute arrangement is usually the right approach. Old lead flashing is removed from the junction with the roof slope if it is being replaced.
The new brickwork starts from the last sound course, which is cleaned back and re-levelled before the first new course is laid. Bricks are laid in the correct bond pattern for the stack - typically stretcher bond on a standard rectangular stack - with consistent joint width throughout.
Mortar mix is critical here. On older properties, a lime-based mortar is the right choice because it is softer than the brick, breathable and flexible under the thermal movement a chimney experiences. Cement mortar is too hard for older soft bricks and causes spalling over time. The roofer should be able to explain the mix they are using and why it is appropriate for the property.
Brickwork rises in stages rather than being taken to full height in a single day. Freshly laid mortar needs time to begin setting before the weight of additional courses is added. In cool or damp conditions this takes longer, and a good roofer will not rush it. If the forecast shows overnight rain, fresh brickwork is protected with polythene sheeting to prevent water washing uncured mortar from the joints before it has set.
Once the new brickwork has reached the correct height and the mortar has had time to begin curing, the roof junction is addressed. Step flashing and an apron or back gutter are fitted to the junction between the new stack and the roof slope. Lead is the correct material for this in almost all cases - Code 4 or Code 5 depending on the size and shape of the junction. The flashing is dressed neatly into the mortar joints of the new brickwork and fixed securely to the roof structure.
Flaunching is then formed at the top of the stack. This is the sloped mortar collar that sheds water away from the stack face and holds the pot in position. It is shaped to drain outward rather than pooling against the pot base. The pot - either the original if it is sound or a replacement that matches - is bedded into the wet flaunching and checked for plumb before the mortar sets.
Before scaffold comes down, the whole stack is checked: joint profiles, flashing laps, flaunching slope, pot alignment. Any minor pointing that has been disturbed is made good. This is also the point at which the surrounding roof tiles are inspected for any damage caused during the demolition phase, and any disturbed tiles are re-laid and re-bedded as needed.
Debris is cleared from the scaffold boards, gutters are checked for brick dust and mortar fragments, and the scaffold is struck. The site should be left clean and the surrounding garden or yard should not show signs of the job beyond any unavoidable minor mortar dust on hard surfaces.
A chimney rebuild done correctly should not need to be revisited for repointing for many years, provided the right mortar was used and the brickwork was properly laid. If you would like a clear assessment of your chimney in Littleport, call Downham Market Roofers to arrange a survey.
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