Contractors throw around words like spalling, tuckpointing and flashing as if everyone knows them. Here's a plain-English glossary so you always know exactly what your estimate is talking about. See a term underlined elsewhere on our site? It links right back here.
The repair of deteriorated mortar joints between brick or stone. A mason grinds out the old, failed mortar and packs in fresh, color-matched mortar so the wall sheds water and regains strength. Because mortar is the weakest part of any brick structure, tuckpointing is one of the most common — and most cost-effective — masonry repairs. It is also called repointing.
When the face of a brick flakes, chips or pops off, usually because water soaked into the brick and then froze, expanded and broke it apart. Spalling brick looks pitted or crumbling and exposes the soft interior to even faster decay. Left alone, it spreads — which is why sealing and replacing spalled brick early matters.
The solid concrete or mortar slab at the very top of a masonry chimney that seals the top course of brick around the flue. A cracked crown lets water pour straight into the chimney structure, so a rebuilt, properly sloped and sealed crown is one of the best defenses against chimney leaks. Don't confuse it with the cap.
The metal cover — usually stainless steel — that sits over the flue opening at the top of the chimney. A good cap keeps rain, animals and debris out of the flue and adds a spark arrestor screen. Think of the cap as the chimney's hat and the crown as its shoulders.
The thin metal sheeting that seals the joint where the chimney passes through the roof. Flashing is one of the most common places a chimney leaks, because caulk and cheap installs fail over time. Proper step-and-counter flashing is layered into both the roof and the masonry so water is guided away instead of seeping in.
The horizontal support — usually a steel angle iron — that carries the weight of the brick above an opening such as a window, door or garage door. When a steel lintel rusts, it swells and lifts the brick above it, causing cracks and sagging. We repair and secure the masonry above the opening for the long term — which doesn't always mean replacing the lintel itself.
A wood-framed box, clad in siding, that encloses a metal (prefabricated) flue — common on newer homes instead of a solid brick chimney. People call it a "wooden chimney." The chase is topped by a metal chase cover that rusts and leaks over time, rotting the wood and siding below. We rebuild chases, replace chase covers and re-side them.
The inner channel of the chimney that safely carries smoke and gases out of your home. Liners can be clay tile or stainless steel. Cracked or missing liners are a fire and carbon-monoxide hazard, so relining — installing a new stainless liner — restores safe venting.
The dark, tar-like residue that wood smoke leaves inside a flue. Creosote is highly flammable and is the leading cause of chimney fires, which is why annual sweeping to remove it is a core safety service.
The white, powdery or crystalline staining that appears on brick and masonry when water moves through it and leaves mineral salts behind on the surface. Efflorescence itself is cosmetic, but it's a red flag that water is getting into the masonry — the underlying moisture problem is what needs attention.
A smooth coat of mortar applied to a masonry surface — most often the inside of the smoke chamber above a firebox — to seal gaps, smooth the surface and improve draft and fire safety.
The chamber where the fire actually burns. Firebox brick and mortar take intense heat and eventually crack or crumble; rebuilding the firebox with proper firebrick and refractory mortar keeps the fireplace safe to use.
The angled area directly above the firebox that funnels smoke from the wide fireplace opening up into the narrow flue. A rough or gapped smoke chamber hurts draft and collects creosote; parging it smooth improves both safety and performance.
The movable metal plate that opens to let smoke out while you burn and closes to keep heated or cooled air from escaping up the chimney when you're not. Rusted or stuck dampers waste energy and can be repaired or replaced with an energy-saving top-sealing damper.
Another word for tuckpointing — removing failed mortar from the joints and replacing it with fresh, color-matched mortar. "Pointing" refers to the finished mortar joint itself, so re-pointing means renewing those joints.
Applying a breathable water repellent to masonry so it sheds rain while still letting trapped vapor escape. This is very different from a film-forming paint or sealer, which traps moisture and actually causes spalling. Correct waterproofing extends the life of chimneys, walls, gables and crowns.
The triangular upper portion of a wall under a dual-pitched (peaked) roof. On brick homes, the gable is one of the most weather-exposed masonry surfaces: wind-driven rain and freeze-thaw open mortar joints and can crack or lean the brick toward the peak. Gable repair usually means tuckpointing, replacing spalled brick, and sealing the sloped edges so water cannot get behind the wall.
The full exterior end wall of a building that includes the gable triangle — often brick or stone veneer over wood framing from the foundation (or eave line) up to the roof peak. Homeowners and estimators often say "gable end" when they mean the whole brick face that needs repointing or rebuilding, not just the small triangle at the top.
The sloped edge of a gable where the roof edge meets the wall. On masonry gables, the rake is a common failure line: mortar washes out, brick chips, and missing or failed flashing lets water run behind the veneer. Repairing the rake — mortar, brick, and water management — is a core part of gable restoration.
We'd rather explain than have you guess. Call 901-443-1036 and we'll walk you through exactly what your chimney or masonry needs — in plain English.
From a crumbling chimney to a hairline mortar crack, Madewell Masonry gives you an honest assessment and a fair price — backed by 40+ years of experience and a 10-year guarantee on our workmanship.
