Home/Services/Chimney Tuckpointing and Masonry Repair
G★★★★★ 4.9 Rated · 363 Google Reviews
Mortar joints wear out decades before the brick around them, and every Lake Erie winter opens them a little wider. Our chimney tuckpointing and masonry repair grinds out failed joints, repoints them with matched mortar, and replaces spalled brick before the stack needs rebuilding.
BBB A+ accreditedAngi Super Service Award, 2019 to 20254.9 stars, 363 Google reviews
Professional. Certified. Trusted.
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep (Chimney Safety Institute of America), NFI Certified (National Fireplace Institute), NCSG Certified and Member (National Chimney Sweep Guild), Certified Chimney Professional (CCP credential of the National Chimney Sweep Guild), HeatShield Certified Installer (HeatShield chimney lining and flue repair system). Every badge opens the organization's own directory, where Green and Clean Home Services is listed.
CSIA Certified Chimney SweepChimney Safety Institute of AmericaVerify listingNFI CertifiedNational Fireplace InstituteVerify listingNCSG Certified and MemberNational Chimney Sweep GuildVerify listing
Certified Chimney ProfessionalCCP credential of the National Chimney Sweep GuildVerify listingHeatShield Certified InstallerHeatShield chimney lining and flue repair systemVerify listingReviews
Masonry work you can check from the street. Read what customers in Lakewood, Chagrin Falls and Strongsville said on Google, Angi and the BBB.
363 reviews
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“David promptly responded to our request for inspection, called when he was en route, and arrived on time. He used a drone to examine the chimney exterior and a camera for the interior, provided a copy of the inspection video, and presented a range of options for prioritizing the repairs. Excellent value, highly recommend!”
“David was amazing! He cleaned our basement, family room, stairs, and upholstery. With a dog and 3 active kids we 110% notice the difference in our home. I can’t wait to schedule him regularly.”
“Amazing service. I’ve had my chimney swept and inspected three times and my air ducts cleaned. I will not go anywhere else. Professional, detailed, helpful and affordable! Hands down 12/10 recommend!”
“Extremely professional, fantastic work. Ducts and rugs were cleaned and both look brand new. Definitely recommend and the price can’t be beat.”
“Wonderful job! Service was right on time. Everything was explained very well step by step. Everything was cleaned up well upon finishing. Would recommend to others.”
“Green and Clean did a great job with our carpets and furniture! Even a few weeks later we couldn’t be happier with their fast, efficient, and thorough service.”
“David is efficient and does a great job. Very professional and we totally trust his work. I can highly recommend him.”
“Cleaned vent efficiently and quickly. Very personable. Would use again.”
633 reviews
Super Service Award winner 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“David from Green and Clean was very prompt with a detailed estimate on repairing my in-law’s chimney. His crew came out and did a nice job of fixing the chimney by redoing the crown, tuck pointing and repairing damaged bricks. The chimney now looks great. Very satisfied.”
“David conducted a comprehensive analysis of the chimney issues and presented us with viable options for resolution. Highly recommended for individuals seeking expert assistance in such matters.”
“David was great. He explained every process. Did a thorough job cleaning and even used a drone to check the chimney. He even took the time to review the fireplace process.”
“Good job, got done properly and fast. The crew worked even late hours to complete and cleaned everything up when done.”
“David was phenomenal! Communication was fantastic, he was on time and extremely friendly. He did a fantastic job with the chimney sweeping and reviewed the video of his findings and spent time answering all of my questions.”
“I needed to have my chimney inspected in order to sell. David was knowledgeable, thorough and honest. He swept the chimney, inspected the roof and basement. All was good and clean. He is even pet friendly.”
“David is always a pleasure to work with! Our entire family goes to him and he always delivers quality work. We appreciate his honesty and the pride he takes in his work. He always shows us the before and after.”
“We needed to have a stove pipe reinstalled for a wood burning stove after it was blown off by a windstorm. Job was done quickly, and we are pleased with the work done.”
36 reviews, 5.0 average
Better Business Bureau accredited since March 2019.
“Service was great and quick! We needed carpet cleaning done as quickly as possible and we greatly appreciated getting an appointment without much notice.”
“Fantastic, very thorough and explained the process clearly. He worked quickly and was courteous and so friendly.”
“Responded immediately, came quickly, worked efficiently, and was upfront with the pricing. More than that, his work is high quality.”
“Super knowledgeable and explained things very thoroughly. Clear that he knows what he is doing. Very patient with all my questions.”
“Wonderful, professional and informative! We got to see the before and after. Nice job!”
“Very professional and knowledgeable. He was punctual to the appointment, and explained everything he was going to do.”
“Efficient, very polite and friendly. I highly recommend Green and Clean! He did a great job and was in and out.”
Neighborhood recommended
Recommended by neighbors across Lake and Cuyahoga counties.
“David cleaned our ducts and chimney and did a wonderful job.”
“David was great. He gave me options and got the job done quickly. Great service today.”
“Green and Clean. He is amazing. Well priced and impeccably done.”
106 recommendations
Recommended by 106 people on Facebook. Open the page to read every recommendation.
Facebook does not allow its recommendations to be displayed off platform. Open the page to read all 106 recommendations.
What is included
Real tuckpointing means removing failed mortar to depth and packing new mortar in layers. A skim coat over old joints looks fine for a season and falls out by spring.
Why it matters
Mortar is designed to be the sacrificial part of a brick wall. Around Lake Erie it gets sacrificed faster than almost anywhere in the country.
The Brick Industry Association says deteriorated mortar should be removed to a depth of two to two and a half times the joint width before repointing. A skim coat fails because there is nothing behind it.
Source: Brick Industry Association, Technical Note 46Cleveland Hopkins averages about 64 inches of snow a year and the Geauga snowbelt more than 100. Snow sitting on a chimney ledge melts, soaks the joints and refreezes overnight, again and again.
Source: National Weather Service Cleveland climate normalsBIA mortar guidance says the mortar should be weaker than the brick it holds, so movement cracks the joint and not the unit. Cleveland brick from the 1920s is soft, and a hard modern mix breaks it.
Source: Brick Industry Association, Technical Note 8Warning signs
Check the face toward the lake first. It takes the wind driven rain.
Run a key along a joint. If mortar falls out as sand or the joint sits more than a quarter inch deep, it has stopped working.
Flakes or whole faces popping off is water freezing inside the brick. Once the fired face is gone the soft core soaks like a sponge.
Cracks climbing the chimney through the joints mean the stack is moving or the mortar has lost its bond.
Efflorescence is salt carried out of the wall by water. It tells you water is passing through the joints, not just running off them.
Bricks you can wiggle by hand in the top courses are the last stage before pieces start landing in the yard.
Musty drywall around the chimney upstairs often traces back to open joints just above the roof.
Gritty gray sand below the chimney is mortar washing out of the joints. The wall is losing what holds it together.
Mortar weathers faster than brick. Most chimneys here need their first repointing somewhere between 25 and 30 years.
How it works
We probe the joints, fly the drone, and tell you what is tuckpointing, what is brick replacement, and whether any section needs to come down.
Failed mortar is ground out to depth with dust control. Joints are brushed and dampened so the new mortar cures slowly and bonds.
Mortar is mixed on site to match color and hardness, packed in lifts and tooled to the original profile. Spalled brick is replaced at the same time.
Fresh joints are shaded from sun and rain while they cure. You get before and after photos and advice on when waterproofing makes sense.
Before and after
Drag the slider. Real jobs by our technicians in Northeast Ohio.
BeforeAfterChimney taken down and rebuilt
BeforeAfterTuckpointing
BeforeAfterCrown rebuild
BeforeAfterFlue extended, new crown and capOn video
Short clips from our technicians and customers across Northeast Ohio. Tap any clip to play it here.
Service walkthroughChimney sweep and video inspection
Why Green and Clean
A general mason may lay a beautiful joint and never look at the liner behind it. We inspect the whole chimney because the outside and the inside fail together.
| What matters | Green and Clean | Typical coupon service |
|---|---|---|
| Mortar removal | Ground to depth per BIA guidance | Surface scraped, skim coat applied |
| Mortar mix | Matched in color and hardness to old brick | Bagged mix, too hard for old brick |
| Inspection | Flue camera and drone included | Exterior only |
| Credentials | CSIA and Certified Chimney Professional, licensed and insured in Ohio | Varies |
Pricing
The length of failed joint is only part of it. Here is what we look at, and you get a firm written price before any work starts.
Spot repointing a few joints near the top is a short job. Full tuckpointing of every face from the roofline up takes far longer and more mortar.
Each spalled brick has to be cut out without disturbing its neighbors. If a section is loose enough to need relaying, the scope becomes a partial rebuild.
Two story colonials with steep roofs and tall stacks need more staging than a ranch whose chimney you can reach from a walkable roof.
Loose masonry over a walkway is a safety issue. Call the emergency line and we will secure the stack the same day and price the repair.
Related services
Service areas
Lake, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit, Portage, Medina and Lorain counties. Type your city to see recent masonry jobs nearby.
FAQ
Strictly, repointing is replacing failed mortar, and tuckpointing is an old decorative technique using two mortar colors to make joints look thinner. In Northeast Ohio everyone uses tuckpointing to mean the repair, so we do too. The work is the same: remove the bad mortar to depth and pack in new.
If the brick is sound and only the joints have failed, tuckpointing restores it. If many bricks have spalled, the stack leans, or courses move when pushed, repointing would be gluing a loose puzzle together. We give you a straight answer after the inspection.
Yes. We match sand color, texture and joint profile and test a sample before doing the whole chimney. Fresh mortar looks lighter for a few months and blends in as it weathers.
Mortar needs temperatures above roughly 40 degrees for several days to cure, so most of our tuckpointing runs from April through November. Fall books up fast, so scheduling after a late summer inspection gets the best dates.
Open joints are one of the most common leak paths, especially on the face toward the lake. We check the crown, flashing and cap in the same inspection, because a leak with two sources keeps leaking if only one is fixed.
We recommend it once the new mortar has cured, usually after about four weeks. A breathable siloxane sealer keeps wind driven rain out of the fresh joints and the older brick around them. See our chimney waterproofing page for details.
Free estimate
Tell us about your chimney, fireplace, ducts, dryer vent, carpet or upholstery and we will come back with straight answers and a firm price. No pressure, no upsell.
Chimney, fireplace, masonry, air ducts, dryer vents, carpet and upholstery. One trusted team.
