Chimney Repairs Explained: Repointing, Flaunching, Flashing or Rebuild?

Chimney repairs cover four different jobs that often get lumped together — and knowing which one you need saves you money and gets it fixed first time. The four usual faults are failed pointing, cracked flaunching, gone lead flashing, and unsafe brickwork — and only the last of those means a rebuild. Chimney and lead work are what we're called to most across the East Riding, so here's how to tell them apart.

1. Repointing — failed mortar joints

Over years of weather the mortar between the bricks softens, cracks and washes out, letting water into the stack. Repointing rakes out the old joints and renews them with fresh mortar. It's the most common chimney repair and, on its own, a fairly modest job — the brickwork stays, only the joints are renewed.

2. Re-flaunching — the mortar bed up top

Flaunching is the sloped mortar bed on top of the stack that grips the pots and throws water off. It's exposed to everything and cracks with age; once it does, water runs straight into the stack. Re-flaunching renews that bed so the top sheds water again and the pots sit secure.

3. Lead flashing — where stack meets roof

Where the chimney passes through the roof, lead flashing seals the joint. Age and movement crack the lead or lift it from the mortar, and that's a classic leak point. The proper fix is fresh lead in the correct code, dressed and fixed in — not sealant smeared over the gap. Good lead work lasts for decades.

4. Rebuilds — when the brick itself has gone

Sometimes the mortar and lead aren't the problem — the brickwork is. A stack that's leaning, badly spalled (crumbling faces) or actually moving has become unsafe, and no amount of pointing fixes that. Then it's a rebuild, of the top courses or the whole stack. This is the least common of the four, despite being the one people fear most.

How we work out which you need

Damp on a chimney breast looks identical whatever's causing it, so we don't guess. We inspect the stack close-up — often with a CAA-registered drone so we can see the flaunching, pointing and lead without disturbing anything — and then quote for what's genuinely wrong. Most chimneys need one or two of these jobs, not all four, and almost never a full rebuild.

Frequently asked questions

What is chimney flaunching?

Flaunching is the sloped bed of mortar on top of the stack that holds the pots in place and sheds water off the top. When it cracks, water gets into the stack — it's one of the most common chimney faults.

How do I know if it's the pointing or the lead that's leaking?

You often can't from inside — damp on a chimney breast can come from either. That's why we inspect the stack properly, often by drone, before quoting, so you fix the actual fault rather than guessing.

When does a chimney need rebuilding instead of repairing?

When the brickwork itself is unsafe — leaning, badly spalled or moving. If the brick is sound and only mortar or lead has failed, repointing, re-flaunching and new lead bring it back without a rebuild.

Do you cap or take down chimneys that are no longer used?

Yes — a redundant stack can be repaired, capped and vented, or taken down and made good, depending on what you want. We'll talk you through the options and quote each one clearly.

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Chimney giving you trouble? Chimney repairs and leadwork are our speciality across Hull, Beverley, Hessle and the wider East Riding — inspected properly, quoted honestly, finished photographed. Call 07447 352091.