At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. Does this make sense?

On May 29, 10:52*am, Tony Miklos wrote:
At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. *The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. *While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? *I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. *Does this make sense?

I don't see how whether there is mortar, caulk, or something else
between on from of bricks has any effect on whether the load
is bearing on the roof or chimney foundation. The caulk was a
hack job and it should be replaced with mortar.

On May 29, 10:52*am, Tony Miklos wrote:
At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. *The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. *While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? *I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. *Does this make sense?

get a pro to look at the chimney. the largest danger is a cracked
chimney cap.

rain gets between liner and outer bricks and freezes, liner breaks and
falls in blocking flue.

occupants get carbon monoxide poisioning and can die... worst parrt is
you cant even see the problem from the ground......

We got carbon monoxide poisioning here it was a very close thing. A
friend who happened to be a volunteer fireman stopped to visit and
recognized the symptoms

On 5/29/2011 10:52 AM, Tony Miklos wrote:
At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. Does this make sense?


Never mind. I don't know why it's like it is, but about 6 feet up there
is this 1 inch space between the rows of brick. Looking closer the four
corners seem to be on solid mortar... about 1 inch thick. Then in
between the rest of each side is something soft that has shrunken and
that is why the caulking was added. Weird but it seems solid. I took
pics but it's not going to show you much except painted caulking. Why
was this done? And also, it was for an old old wood or coal stove that
is no longer in use.

On May 30, 1:09*am, Tony Miklos wrote:
On 5/29/2011 10:52 AM, Tony Miklos wrote:

At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. Does this make sense?

Never mind. *I don't know why it's like it is, but about 6 feet up there
is this 1 inch space between the rows of brick. *Looking closer the four
corners seem to be on solid mortar... about 1 inch thick. *Then in
between the rest of each side is something soft that has shrunken and
that is why the caulking was added. *Weird but it seems solid. *I took
pics but it's not going to show you much except painted caulking. *Why
was this done? *And also, it was for an old old wood or coal stove that
is no longer in use.

Are you stupid or what? Read my previous post.

harry wrote:

Are you stupid or what? Read my previous post.

It's more likely he simply ignores your posts.

Tony Miklos wrote the following:
On 5/29/2011 10:52 AM, Tony Miklos wrote:
At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. Does this make sense?


Never mind. I don't know why it's like it is, but about 6 feet up
there is this 1 inch space between the rows of brick. Looking closer
the four corners seem to be on solid mortar... about 1 inch thick.
Then in between the rest of each side is something soft that has
shrunken and that is why the caulking was added. Weird but it seems
solid. I took pics but it's not going to show you much except painted
caulking. Why was this done? And also, it was for an old old wood or
coal stove that is no longer in use.
If it's not being used anymore, why not just take it down?
My neighbor had the same situation. No more fireplace, but the chimney
still there. It was definitely leaning away from the house a few inches
near the top. We just started breaking it apart near the base until it
fell over away from the house. It had a few bat lodgings fall out and
there were a dozen bats or so crawling around the ground until they came
out of their coma and flew away.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On 5/30/2011 2:05 AM, harry wrote:
On May 30, 1:09 am, Tony wrote:
On 5/29/2011 10:52 AM, Tony Miklos wrote:

At my girlfriends house I noticed one row of mortar between the bricks
had been CAULKED. The rest of it looks good but I'm afraid the top is
being supported by the house and not the chimney footer. While removing
the mortar and redoing it, should I try to drive some kind of wedge
between the bricks to unload some of the weight off the house? I would
then mortar most of it, then after a day or so remove the wedges and
mortar the rest. Does this make sense?

Never mind. I don't know why it's like it is, but about 6 feet up there
is this 1 inch space between the rows of brick. Looking closer the four
corners seem to be on solid mortar... about 1 inch thick. Then in
between the rest of each side is something soft that has shrunken and
that is why the caulking was added. Weird but it seems solid. I took
pics but it's not going to show you much except painted caulking. Why
was this done? And also, it was for an old old wood or coal stove that
is no longer in use.

Are you stupid or what? Read my previous post.

You are an idiot. It's nothing like you describe. Well now wait, is
your other material to block moisture in a vertical or horizontal position?