I was looking at my chimney and the bricks near the top look like they’re falling apart a bit. Is that something I should be worried about now or can it wait?
Answer
The top of the chimney is the part of the chimney that takes the brunt of abuse from the weather. Between constant moisture exposure and Michigan freeze-thaw cycles, the crowns crack & the face of the brick starts breaking down and the mortar joints weaken. Once that outer layer goes, the bricks start to crumble and flake. Replacing the damaged bricks, repairing the chimney crown and adding fresh new mortar stabilizes the chimney and keeps the damage from spreading.
