Update: The day we had to tear down a whole wall in the rain

Got a call for a repair on a 1920s chimney in the old part of town. The homeowner said it was just a few loose bricks. We pulled the first one and the whole interior was just dust and old mortar, no solid core left. Spent eight hours in a downpour carefully taking it apart brick by brick to avoid damaging the roof. Anyone had to do a full rebuild in bad weather and have tips for keeping the new mortar from washing out?

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_perry2416d ago

Actually a good hard rain can HELP the mortar cure if you manage it right. That constant moisture keeps it from drying too fast and cracking. Just mix it a little stiffer than normal and tuck it in deep. Seen plenty of rainy-day jobs that turned out stronger than the summer ones.

mason_reed4717d ago

That whole interior was just DUST? A 1920s chimney with no solid core left is a total nightmare find. I can't believe you had to do a full teardown in a downpour for eight straight hours. Trying to keep new mortar dry in that sounds almost impossible. A heavy tarp setup with a solid frame is the only thing that might work, but the wind would be a huge problem.

cameron_hernandez6917d ago

Tell me about it. My tarp setup looked like a sad circus tent trying to escape in that wind. Spent more time chasing plastic and wrestling with two-by-fours than actually laying brick. The mortar was basically soup by the end. Pretty sure I built a chimney that's half rainwater and pure regret.