PSA: Talked to a mason about old mortar and it changed my whole approach

I was working on a 1910s house in Tacoma last week and got chatting with the mason repointing the brickwork. I mentioned how tough some of the creosote was in that flue, and he just looked at me and said, 'You know, half the time you guys are cleaning out the mess that bad mortar lets in.' He explained that hairline cracks in old lime mortar around the chimney crown are basically a welcome mat for moisture, which then mixes with soot and makes that rock-hard, glazed stage three creosote way faster. I'd always just focused on the flue itself, you know? But now I'm spending an extra five minutes on every inspection just running a finger around the exterior mortar joints, looking for that gritty, sandy feel. Has anyone else started adding a quick mortar check to their routine, or am I just overthinking it now?

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ryan7934mo ago

Honestly, my buddy had a chimney fire last winter that the fire marshal traced right back to cracked mortar letting water in. Totally changed how he looks at inspections now too.

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rodriguez.mia4mo ago

Wow @ryan793, just cracked mortar caused all that?

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morgan.jason4mo ago

Yeah, the "just cracked mortar" thing gets me. I mean it's wild how the smallest, most boring looking problem can actually be the root of something huge. Maybe it's just me but I see that pattern everywhere now.

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