Why are pieces of brick falling into the yard below my chimney?
Brick falls from a chimney because the masonry at the top has broken down, almost always from water getting into a cracked crown, worn mortar joints or brick faces that are flaking away. The pieces in your yard are the part you can see of damage that has been building for a while.
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The nuance is how far it has gone. Flaked brick faces and crumbled mortar can often be repaired in place. Open gaps, or a stack that leans, mean the structure itself is affected and the repair is bigger. Keep people and pets away from the ground below the chimney until it has been looked at.
Why it happens
The crown is the slab of masonry across the top of the chimney. It should shed water away from the brick, with an overhang and a drip edge. When it cracks, water runs into the stack instead. Brick and mortar absorb it, and in places where winters get cold, freezing water expands and pushes the surface off the brick. That flaking is called spalling.
Mortar joints wear out too. Once the joints crumble, water gets deeper into the stack and bricks near the top loosen. The top of a chimney takes the most weather, since it is exposed on every side. That is why the loose pieces usually come from up there.
A missing or damaged cap lets even more water in. So the cause is often several small failures at the crown, joints and brick together, not one crack.
What you can check yourself
Look at the pieces from a safe distance
Flat, thin flakes off the face of the brick point to spalling. Gritty sand-like crumbs or chunks of grey material point to mortar or crown breakdown.
Look up from the ground
Stand well back, in the yard, and look at the top of the stack. Binoculars help. Note any visible cracks, missing bricks, white staining or a lean.
Check the lines of the stack
A chimney that looks bowed, tilted, or pulling away from the house is a structural concern. Take a photo from the same spot so you can show the technician.
Look inside and around the fireplace
Check the firebox and the ceiling and walls near the chimney for debris, damp patches or staining. These suggest water is travelling down through the stack.
Mark off the area below
Keep children, pets and anyone walking through the yard clear of the spot where brick is landing.
When to call a technician
Falling brick is already past the point of looking and waiting. Pieces will keep coming loose, and water will keep getting in. If the stack leans, has open gaps, or you see missing brick near the roofline, do not use the fireplace until a mason has inspected it. If anyone gets a headache or dizziness while a fire is burning, get outside and call 911.
One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. Call (866) 576-7943 and we arrange a visit from an independent sweep or mason. The estimate is free. The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first. Permit rules vary by city and county, particularly for rebuilding above the roofline, so check with your local building department.
What the technician will do
- Inspect the whole top of the stackThey look at the crown, joints, brick faces, cap and flashing, and explain what is cosmetic and what is structural. Ask to see photos of what they find.
- Repair or recast the crownA sound crown is repaired. A failed one is recast with an overhang and a drip edge so water sheds clear of the brick.
- Repoint and replace brickWorn joints are repointed with mortar matched to the existing work. Spalled brick is cut out and replaced.
- Fit a capA cap keeps rain out of the flue and helps protect the crown.
- Rebuild where neededIf the stack has lost structure above the roofline, that section is rebuilt. Ask for the reasoning in writing.
Related questions
- Can I still use my fireplace if only a few bricks have fallen?
- It depends on what the damage is. If the stack leans, has open gaps, or bricks keep coming loose, hold off until it has been inspected. A technician can tell you whether it is safe to use.
- Is a cracked chimney crown just cosmetic?
- Not usually. The crown's job is to keep water out of the masonry, so a crack lets in the water that causes brick to flake and joints to fail. Repairing it early is often simpler than repairing what follows.
- What decides the cost of fixing it?
- Mainly how high and accessible the stack is, how much brick and mortar is damaged, and whether the crown, cap or flashing need work too. Rebuilding sections costs more than repointing. The free estimate sets out the price before any work starts.
- Can I patch the brick or crown myself?
- Work at the top of a chimney means working on the roof at height, and surface patches over damaged masonry tend not to hold. It is better left to a mason.
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