Can I re brick my own chimney ??

Question

I am good at following directions and it doesn't look to hard ?? I think you just gotta take your time ??

Answer 1

Chimneys are best left to professionals, have to know how to start on the footing, how much and where to reinforce with rebar clearances to combustibles

Answer 2

You can do it, if you're up to it.  You're re-bricking a chimney, not building a space shuttle.  Its not rocket science.  However it is still serious to do it with utmost care and precautions to prevent accidents.  Its an awkward place to work, with an angled roof as your "floor" and open air to fall through on the other side, and even if you don't fall, just dropping just one brick can cause enormous injury or death (to persons or pets) or property damage to things below (car, fence, window, natural-gas pipe/meter, etc...).  You'll probably need a reliable safe scaffold set up properly...one thing wrong can send you into a wheelchair for the rest of your life.  I've heard about that happening too.  

Do everything with safely and precautions in mind !

Oh,  and something else thats serious,  make sure you have delivery of the bricks you need to re-brick it BEFORE you take down the old ones... I've seen some customers take down their old bricks, and then went to buy new ones, but they were sold out and no new ones for weeks or even months.  

A great source of information for chimneys can be found at www.bia.org in the technical notes section # 19 , -A, -B. on residential chimneys.

Answer 3

If you have never tried laying brick, all ya have to have is a strong back and a weak mind! Just kidding. There are many things to be considered. 1st you must have a solid foundation to support all the brick you wish to add. Then you have to use wall ties to keep the brick from falling over. The sand and mortar has to be mixed just a certain way. You will have to have all the proper tools including scaffolding and walk boards. If you think it is simple, start by building a simple bbq out in the back yard, see how this turns out and how you feel then decide if you should tackle such a job as a complete chimney.

It is simple, but it also very labor intensive!

**JD

Answer 4

can you do it and still get a good nights sleep? if its for a wood stove , you better have someone who knows what they are doing...

Answer 5

what do you mean by re-brick ?  Are you just doing touch up in the mortar joints ?  Or are you planning to put a new veneer on it ?