Coventry Roofing Specialists · Since 1973
Chimney Repointing in CoventryLime & Cement MortarMatched to Your Property
Old mortar joints are the fastest leak path on any chimney. Rake them out, repoint with the correct mix for the age and brick type, and you extend the life of the whole stack by 30–40 years. We match the mortar to the property, not the other way round.
Free drone survey · Matched mortar mix · Family-run since 1973
Service overview
Chimney Repointing
, properly explained.
No jargon, no filler. Here's exactly what this service is, who benefits from it, and why we don't take shortcuts on it.
Chimney repointing is the removal of failing mortar from the joints between bricks, typically to a depth of 25mm, and its replacement with a fresh, matched mortar. Correctly done, it restores the stack's ability to shed water and locks the bricks against frost expansion for another 40+ years.
Homeowners with visibly open, missing or crumbling mortar joints on their stack, buyers whose survey has flagged mortar condition, owners of pre-1919 properties needing lime-based repointing, and anyone facing repeated damp on chimney breasts.
You need repointing when mortar can be raked out with a fingernail, when joints are visibly recessed by 5mm+, when there are damp patches on internal chimney breasts, or when a survey has specifically called out mortar condition.
Mortar isn't one recipe. Post-1919 houses want a cement-lime-sand mix; pre-1919 solid-wall properties often need hydraulic lime (NHL 2, 3.5 or 5) to allow the wall to breathe. Getting this wrong doesn't just look bad, a cement mix on a lime wall traps moisture behind it and accelerates the exact damp problem you're trying to fix. Specification matters as much as workmanship.
What happens if it's ignored
The cost of leaving it
or getting it wrong.
The most expensive roofing decisions aren't the ones you make when you call us, they're the ones you make when you don't.
Cement on a lime-mortared property
Pointing a Victorian or older stack in strong cement mortar traps moisture behind harder pointing than the bricks. Water then escapes through the brick face itself, spalling the bricks. The fix costs more than the original repointing, matched mortar from day one avoids this.
Skim pointing over old mortar
Applying a thin layer of fresh mortar over unraked old mortar looks fine for one summer. By the second winter, frost lifts the skim away and you're back to square one. Correct repointing rakes to 25mm minimum.
Wrong sand, wrong colour
Fine building sand produces a smooth, pale point that dates any property. Sharp sand with the right filler matches the original texture and colour, critical on visible stacks and conservation areas.
DIY repointing on a stack
Chimneys are working at height in wind exposure. DIY repointing from a ladder is dangerous, and the fall-injury statistics from stack work are the worst in domestic construction.
Our process
A repeatable system,
from first call to sign-off.
Step 1
Free Drone Inspection
We fly a drone across the entire roof, ridge, valleys, verges, flashings and gutter line, capturing high-resolution photography. No ladders leaning against your walls, no guesswork, no call-out fee.
Step 2
Written Diagnosis
You receive a written report with annotated photographs showing exactly what we've found: the condition, the cause, and the specific work required to fix it properly rather than paper over it.
Step 3
Fixed, Itemised Quote
An itemised written quote, materials, labour, access, waste removal, VAT, with clear deposit terms. Domestic jobs under £2,000 need no deposit. Stage payments available on larger projects.
Step 4
Clean, Guaranteed Execution
Lyndon and the four-man crew arrive on time, protect your driveway and garden, work to PASMA/IPAF safe-access standards, and leave the site clean each evening. All workmanship is guaranteed.
Step 5
Final Sign-Off
Once the job is complete we walk the property with you, share drone photography of the finished work, and provide a workmanship guarantee in writing. Your invoice is emailed the same day.
Why Coventry chooses us
Concrete benefits
not vague reassurance.
30–40 year lifespan
Correctly matched and executed repointing extends stack life by decades, a fraction of the cost of a rebuild.
Matched mortar
Cement-lime-sand for post-1919; hydraulic lime NHL 3.5 or 5 for pre-1919. We match strength, texture and colour to the property.
Damp source addressed
By closing the fastest leak path, open joints, we fix the most common cause of internal chimney-breast damp.
Brick face preserved
Correct mortar strength means water escapes through the joint (as designed) rather than through the brick face (which spalls it).
Kerb appeal
A clean, matched repoint on a visible stack lifts the whole front elevation of the property.
Written guarantee
All repointing workmanship guaranteed in writing.
Deep detail
Materials, methods
& where each applies.
The specifics that separate a roof built to last from one built to invoice. Read it or skim it, either way, it's the answer to "what actually goes on my roof?"
Mortar mixes we use
Post-1919 property: 1:1:6 cement:lime:sand (or 1:2:9 for slightly softer bricks). Pre-1919 solid-wall: NHL 3.5 hydraulic lime and sand, 1:3 by volume. Very soft handmade bricks (pre-1850): NHL 2 and sand. Every mix is trialled on a small area first for colour and texture match before the main work begins.
Methods and detailing
Rake out to minimum 25mm depth using dust-suppressed grinder and hand-chase. Brush clean and dampen joints. Repoint in two passes, a scratch coat and a finish coat, with a jointer profile matched to existing (typically weathered, bucket-handle, or flush). Cure under damp hessian in hot weather to prevent shrinkage cracking.
Repoint vs rebuild
Repointing suits stacks with sound bricks and failed joints. Where more than 20% of bricks are spalled, missing, or the stack has moved, rebuilding is more economical, repointing a failing stack is throwing good money after bad. Drone photography shows brick condition definitively.
Residential vs commercial
Domestic stacks: 1–3 days depending on size and access. Industrial and commercial stacks: MEWP access, phased work, often specialist lime specification for older factory buildings. Both approaches follow the same rake-out and matched-mortar principle.
Straight answers
Common questions
before you call.
Can't find yours? Ring us on 024 7671 4341 , Lyndon or Georgina will pick up.
How much does chimney repointing cost in Coventry?
A single-stack repoint typically runs £600–£1,200 including scaffold, matched mortar and labour. Twin stacks or larger heritage chimneys can run £1,000–£2,000. All quotes itemised in writing.
How do I know if my chimney needs repointing?
If you can rake mortar out with a screwdriver or fingernail, if joints are visibly recessed by 5mm or more, or if there's damp on the chimney breast internally, the joints are likely failing. Drone photography will confirm, free and with no obligation.
Cement or lime mortar, which does my property need?
Post-1919 (harder brick, cavity wall): cement-lime-sand mix. Pre-1919 (softer brick, solid wall): hydraulic lime and sand. We match to your property age and brick type, not to a one-size-fits-all recipe.
How long does chimney repointing take?
A standard single-stack: 1–2 days including scaffold. Twin or heritage stacks: 2–4 days. Curing is weather-dependent, hot dry weather needs damp hessian cover for the first 48 hours.
Do I need scaffold for chimney repointing?
Yes, repointing needs both hands, tool control and dust suppression. Ladder-based repointing is unsafe and produces poor pointing. Scaffold cost is included in every quote.
Will repointing stop my chimney damp?
In most cases yes, open joints are the most common single leak path. Where damp persists after repointing, the flashings, flaunching or pot are usually also failing; our drone survey identifies all failure points before quoting.
How long will repointing last?
Correctly matched and executed repointing lasts 30–40 years. Poorly matched mortar can fail within 5–10 years, hence our insistence on the right mix.
Is the repointing guaranteed?
Yes, all workmanship is guaranteed in writing.
Related services
While we're on the roof,
we handle all of this too.
Chimney Repairs
Chimney repair work covers everything above the roof line: brick repointing or rebuilds, replacement of cracked flaunching (the mortar cap around the pot), pot replacement, cowl fitting, lead flashing renewal, and where the stack is compromised, a full below-roofline rebuild. Each is a distinct fix, we identify which of them your chimney actually needs.
View service
Lead Work & Lead Flashing
Lead work is the traditional, hand-formed metal detailing at every point on the roof where two surfaces meet, chimney stacks, side abutments to walls, valleys between roof slopes, box gutters, dormer cheeks and heads, parapet cappings, and window heads. Code 4, code 5 and code 6 lead sheet is cut, dressed and welded on site to create a watertight, 50+ year seal.
View service
Roof Repairs
A roof repair addresses a localised failure: slipped or missing tiles, a leaking valley, a failed lead flashing, cracked cement ridge bedding, blocked or split gutters, damaged verges, or a failed skylight seal. The work is targeted, we don't quote for a re-roof when a repair will genuinely last another 15 years.
View service
Ready when you are
Get a free drone survey
for your chimney repointing.
Written report. Itemised quote. No call-out fee, no obligation. We'll tell you honestly whether you need this service, another service, or no work at all.
- Free drone survey
- No call-out fee
- £15m fully insured
- Which? Trusted Trader
"Excellent service. Lyndon explained the damage and the work needed and their quotes were reasonable. Honest, open communication and did everything they said they would."
, Naheed Khan, Google review