Chimney Deterioration & Crumbling Brick – What to Do?

Hostetler Masonry comes across numerous deteriorating and crumbling chimneys every year. Especially with older homes in Northeast Ohio, where the weather can take a serious toll on masonry and bricks, we get calls for chimneys and stacks on houses that have begun to leak, crumble inward, or are just plain unsightly.

Some Common Causes of Chimney & Brick Deterioration in Northeast Ohio:

• Expansion and contraction due to freeze/thaw cycles.
• Thermal expansion and contraction.
• Expansion of rusting rebar within the masonry.
• Moisture trapped behind painted masonry unable to escape.
• Masonry “sealed” with an inappropriate sealer.
• Incorrectly installed masonry units.
• Poor detailing, design, and specifications.
• Wind erosion.
• Biological growth (plant life).
• Settling.
• Birds and other animals.

Generations of Experience

As a third-generation mason, let Jon Hostetler assess your home’s chimney and brick deterioration and provide you with an estimate that can restore and rebuild your crumbling chimney – and check out some of our past projects below: