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Care and Repair

How to Tell If Your Chimney Needs Repair

5 min readBy the Nashville Brick Mason team

Key takeaways

  • Missing mortar, loose brick and white stains are early warning signs.
  • A leaning chimney or a cracked, crumbling crown needs prompt attention.
  • Water stains on the ceiling near the chimney often mean flashing or crown trouble.
  • Small repairs are far cheaper than a rebuild.

You can learn a lot about your chimney from the yard with a pair of binoculars.

Signs to look for

  • Open joints: mortar that is missing, sandy or recessed.
  • Loose or flaking brick: especially near the top.
  • White stains: salts left behind by water moving through the masonry.
  • A cracked crown: the slab on top should be sloped and solid.
  • A lean: any tilt deserves a professional look.

Inside the house

Water stains on the ceiling or wall near the chimney, a musty smell or damp in the fireplace can point to flashing, crown or flue problems.

What to do

If you see these signs, have the chimney looked at before you burn wood again. Our Wall Doctor tool explains what common signs mean.

Related services

Questions about your own project? Call or text 615-431-3789, or use the quote form below.

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  • A few details or a photo of the wall, patio or chimney, so we know what we are working with
  • A clear plan: what we would build or repair, how it would go and what it involves, before any work starts
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