Having a fireplace can add value and comfort to your home. Unfortunately, a fireplace that is not well-maintained can quickly become an eyesore and a hazard. If you notice that the mortar holding your home's fireplace bricks together has started to show signs of wear, it's time to invest in tuckpointing. Tuckpointing is the process by which skilled technicians repair cracked, crumbling, or damaged mortar.

Here are three factors that can affect the cost of tuckpointing. Understanding these factors will help you prepare to fund tuckpointing repairs in the future.

1. Experience

Repairing the existing mortar between the bricks in your home's fireplace is a lot more challenging than just laying down new brickwork.

To ensure that your tuckpointing repairs are done properly, you must hire a mason with experience completing complex tuckpointing projects. This experience often comes at a premium, and experienced masons can charge a higher hourly rate than your average run-of-the-mill masons.

The median hourly wage for a brickmason is $23.05, so you should estimate spending at least this much per hour on your tuckpointing project.

2. Time

Tuckpointing requires a significant amount of attention to detail, and these projects can take time to complete.

Hiring an experienced mason will reduce the amount of time it takes to repair the mortar holding your chimney's bricks in place, but it's important that you ask your mason for an estimated timeline when trying to determine how much the repairs will cost.

When you have a rough estimate of the number of hours your mason will need to work to restore your chimney to its original condition, you can use the per-hour wage to create an estimated labor budget for your repairs.

3. Accessibility

In order to complete tuckpointing repairs on your home's chimney, an experienced mason like Excel Chimney & Fireplace Service must be able to access the areas that are in need of repairs.

Ensuring that your mason has easy access to your home's chimney can be a great way to reduce the overall cost of your tuckpointing repairs. Clear away any branches that might impede repair work, and ensure that you clear the ground around your home's chimney to provide safe ladder access.

Making your chimney more accessible could eliminate additional costs associated with inaccessibility from your final bill.

When you understand the factors that must be considered when trying to estimate how much a tuckpointing project will cost, you will be able to better determine how much money needs to be invested to restore your chimney's mortar to its original condition.

Share