Chimney & Masonry Questions, Answered

National safety standard NFPA 211 and the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommend a professional chimney inspection at least once a year, with cleaning and repairs as needed. This holds true even if you only use your fireplace occasionally, because animals, moisture and minor damage can create hazards between burning seasons.

Level 1 is the standard annual inspection of readily accessible areas for a chimney in continued, unchanged service. Level 2 is required before selling a home, after a change to the system (new appliance, fuel or liner), or after an event such as a chimney fire or storm; it adds attic/crawlspace checks and a video flue scan. Level 3 investigates concealed areas when a serious hidden hazard is suspected and may require removing parts of the structure.

Yes. We fly a 4K camera drone around the outside of your chimney and roofline to capture close-up photos of the crown, cap, flashing and upper brickwork — the areas that fail first and are hardest to evaluate safely from the ground. There are no ladders against your gutters and no foot traffic on your shingles, and you review the photos with us so you can see the condition for yourself. The exterior drone check is included free with your estimate; interior checks still follow the NFPA 211 levels above. Request yours here.

A Level 2 inspection is the nationally recognized standard whenever a property is sold or transferred, and many real-estate contracts and home inspectors call for one. It documents the chimney's condition for both buyer and seller and can prevent a deal-killing surprise late in the process.

Creosote is a flammable residue that wood smoke leaves on the inside of your flue. It builds in three stages, from a flaky soot to a hard, tar-like glaze, and it is the leading cause of chimney fires. Regular sweeping removes it before it can ignite. A dirty or blocked flue can also push deadly carbon monoxide back into your home.

It's a building-code height requirement: a chimney must terminate at least 3 feet above where it passes through the roof and at least 2 feet higher than any part of the building within 10 feet. Proper height protects draft and reduces fire risk. We build and rebuild chimneys to meet this and other applicable code requirements.

Yes — a quality stainless steel cap is one of the cheapest, most valuable upgrades you can make. It keeps rain out of the flue (preventing rust and masonry damage), blocks birds, squirrels and raccoons from nesting, and acts as a spark arrestor to keep embers from landing on your roof.

Watch for crumbling or missing mortar, cracked or stair-step cracking in the brick, white chalky staining (efflorescence), spalling (brick faces flaking off), bulging or leaning sections, and gaps opening around windows, lintels or the foundation. Any of these means water is getting in or the structure is moving — and the sooner it's addressed, the cheaper the fix.

The usual culprit is water plus freeze-thaw cycles. When moisture gets into brick or joints and freezes, it expands and breaks the masonry apart, causing faces to flake (spalling). Foundation settlement, rusting steel lintels that expand, and failed mortar joints are other common causes. We diagnose the underlying cause so the repair actually lasts.

Yes. Matching is one of the things that separates skilled masonry from a patch job. We source brick as close as possible to your original and mix mortar to match both the color and the joint profile, so repairs blend in instead of standing out. With older and historic homes especially, the right mortar mix also protects the soft, original brick.

It depends on the extent of the damage, but in many cases brick steps and stoops can be rebuilt for far less than a full tear-out. We'll give you an honest assessment of whether a repair or a rebuild is the better value, and either way you'll get steps that are level, solid and safe.

Tuckpointing — also called repointing — is the process of grinding out old, deteriorated mortar from the joints and replacing it with fresh, properly mixed, color-matched mortar. Because mortar is the part of a wall that fails first, repointing at the right time restores strength and keeps water out without rebuilding the whole structure.

Good mortar typically lasts 25–30 years before it needs attention, though weather exposure and the original mix make a big difference. A simple test: if you can scrape mortar out of a joint with a screwdriver or it's visibly crumbling and receding, it's time to repoint.

Mortar should be slightly softer than the brick around it so the wall can flex and breathe. Using a mortar that's too hard (too much Portland cement) on older, softer brick traps moisture and forces it through the brick faces instead of the joints — which destroys the brick. Matching the right mortar strength is part of doing the job correctly.

A gable is the triangular wall under a pitched roof. On brick homes, open mortar, spalled brick, leaning peaks, and leaks along the rake line mean the gable needs a mason — not just a roofer. We tuckpoint, replace brick, rebuild leaning sections, and seal where the wall meets the roof. See our full brick gable repair guide.

No. Roofers handle shingles and most roof metal. Gable repair is masonry on the brick or stone face under the peak. When both are involved, we coordinate so the wall and roof edge seal correctly.

Most chimney leaks come from one of a few places: a cracked or undersized crown, a missing or rusted-out cap, failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof, deteriorated mortar joints, or porous brick soaking up water. We find the actual source — rather than just sealing over the symptom — and fix it so the leak stays gone.

Efflorescence is the chalky white deposit you sometimes see on brick. It's left behind when water moves through the masonry and carries soluble salts to the surface. It's not just cosmetic — it's a sign of a moisture problem that should be traced and corrected before it leads to spalling and structural damage.

The right product matters. We use a breathable, vapor-permeable masonry water repellent — not a film-forming paint or sealer. It stops liquid water from getting in while still letting trapped vapor escape, so your brick is protected without being suffocated. The wrong sealer can absolutely trap moisture and cause spalling, which is why this is best left to a mason.

Yes. Madewell Masonry and Chimney Service is a licensed and insured, family-owned company based in Memphis and established in 1982. Hiring a licensed, insured mason protects you and your property — always confirm this before any contractor works on your home.

Yes. We provide free, no-pressure written estimates. We'll look closely at the work, explain what truly needs doing (and what doesn't), and give you a clear price with no hidden charges. Call 901-443-1036 or use our contact form to schedule.

We back our craftsmanship with a 10-year workmanship guarantee. We use proper materials and matched mortar, protect your property, and clean up completely. Our work is MadeWell and made to last — and we stand behind it.

We serve Greater Memphis and North Mississippi, including Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Arlington, Eads, Lakeland, Millington, East Memphis, Southaven, Olive Branch and Hernando. See our service areas page to find your city.

Cost depends entirely on the scope — a chimney cap or small repoint is modest, while a full chimney rebuild is a larger investment. That's exactly why we provide a free, detailed written estimate before any work begins, so you know the price up front with no surprises. We also offer budget-friendly options wherever we honestly can.