How We Did It

When Mr J from Norwich reached out to us, he needed some urgent work to be done on the chimneys, as well as to the external brickwork of his residential property. Luckily, this is just the sort of job we specialise in here at Thorpe Structural Repairs and Building Maintenance, and we were delighted to provide Mr J with a quote. The job was slightly complicated by the fact that one of the chimneys is located on a party wall, shared with a council-owned property. However, our professional approach and careful coordination with the council ensured that this challenge was swiftly overcome.

Dan and the team at Thorpe Structural undertook comprehensive repointing works, addressing both chimneys and the area beneath the ground floor front window of Mr J’s property. The process of repointing can take some time, but the benefits of protecting against damp, improving the building’s structural integrity and reducing energy costs due to improved insulation, make that time well spent.

The team started by scraping off and grinding out the existing, crumbling mortar from between the bricks, whilst making sure to not damage the brickwork itself, which could adversely affect the property’s aesthetics. They then replaced it with new lime mortar. This type of mortar was chosen as it is exceptionally breathable, which can help alleviate damp problems (an important consideration in rainy Britain!) and it is nicely compatible with older buildings.

Furthermore, the sloped layer of mortar on top of the chimney – called the chimney pot flaunching – which holds the chimney pot in place and prevents rain coming in was also repaired. The damaged mortar was removed, and a layer of lime mortar was put in, ensuring the chimney’s stability and weatherproofing for years to come.

In addition, we repaired several small brickwork patches using the lime mortar. Any little gaps, cracks or missing bits in the external brickwork were repointed, ensuring the wall’s stability and structural integrity.

Mr J had also asked us to close off some unused, external air vents. We filled them in with bricks, preventing the cold air seeping into the interior of the home and improving the building’s insulation. This will be particularly helpful in keeping winter energy bills down, without sacrificing that toasty warm feeling!

To ensure we were working safely at height, we used scaffolding that wrapped around the chimney. We also made sure to dispose of all the old materials and waste appropriately at the end of the job.

We are delighted with the final outcome and that Mr J was so happy with the work we did! Not only has the work improved the building’s structural integrity, but the chimneys and external brickwork now look smart and refreshed.