5.051 Google reviews5.0 on Yell from 213 ratings
Chimney repointing in Brighton, in lime or cement
Salt air off the Channel eats chimney mortar, so Sure Seal carry out chimney repointing in Brighton before your stack starts shedding bricks onto the roof. Quotes are free, and we ask for nothing up front.
Price your chimney repointing
Pick the job. It takes about 30 seconds.
Or call 01273 115938. No deposit, no call-out charge.
5.0 on Google51 reviews, all 5 stars
5.0 on Yellfrom 213 ratings
Expert Roofer VerifiedEvery check passed, see our profileIs your chimney due for repointing?
Mortar is meant to wear before the bricks do, just not all at once.
Joints sitting back from the face
When you can see shadows between the bricks, the mortar has worn back from the face. Rain sits in those gaps and soaks into the brick.
Sand and grit in the gutter
Gritty sand collecting in the gutters or on the slates below the stack is your pointing washing away, one shower at a time.
Green or white staining
Green algae or white salt deposits on the brickwork show the stack is staying wet. Both are signs the joints have stopped doing their job.
Loose bricks at the top
The top courses take the worst of the weather. Once the mortar goes, bricks rock in place and can drop onto the slates or the path below.
Damp in the top-floor room
Damp on the chimney breast upstairs, worst after driving rain, means water is getting through the brickwork above the roofline.
Raked out by hand, packed tight
We rake the old mortar out by hand to a good, clean depth rather than skimming the surface, because fresh mortar needs something solid to key into. Grinders on soft Victorian bricks chip the edges and leave wider, uglier joints, so we save them for hard cement that will not shift any other way. Then we brush out the dust and dampen the joints so the new mortar does not dry too fast and crack.
The mix is matched to the building. Older Brighton houses built with soft bricks get a lime mortar, which lets the brickwork breathe and gives before the brick does. Modern hard bricks take a cement mix. We fill deep joints in layers, pack each one tight and finish it to match the rest of the house, flush or weather-struck, so rain runs off the face instead of sitting on a ledge.
- Joints raked out by hand
- Lime or cement matched to the brick
- Deep joints filled in layers
- Weather-struck or flush finish
- Flaunching checked while we are up
- Old mortar swept off the roof
Why seafront chimneys wear out faster
Stand on Brighton seafront on a windy day and you can taste the salt, and so can every chimney in the first few streets back. Salt spray drawn into mortar crystallises as it dries, breaking the joints apart from inside, and frost finishes the job. Brighton's Regency and Victorian houses were built with lime mortar and soft bricks, and decades of cement patch repairs on top have trapped moisture and blown brick faces. Getting the mix right here matters more than on a modern estate inland.
Lime or cement mortar?
The right mortar depends on the bricks, and the wrong one damages the chimney.
Lime mortar
Softer and more breathable than cement, it lets moisture escape through the joints instead of through the bricks. It suits the soft bricks on Regency, Victorian and Edwardian houses and flint buildings, and it wears away before the brick does.
Best for: Older houses with soft bricks
Cement mortar
Hard, strong and quick to set, it suits dense modern bricks that do not need to breathe. On soft old bricks it traps water and pushes the damage into the brick faces, which then blow off in a hard frost.
Best for: Post-war houses with hard bricks
Why people ring us back
Great service for flat & tiled roof repair. Professional and knowledgeable advice on works required. Good management which gave quick response and completion of works required.
If you have any roofing work or repairs to be done, then look no further than Sureseal Roofing & Guttering. I have found William and his team to be responsive & professional. They were able to address all my queries and advise wherever necessary. Most importantly their standard of finished work measured upto what had been committed, as well as my expectations of high quality. I whole-heartedly recommend their work.
We had an issue with a leak coming from our chimney and on getting up there realised our flat roof had been installed poorly. Brendan was so professional throughout, talking us through everything and not pressuring us to make quick decisions regarding the repair. His team were very efficient and got the job done in 2 days. Brendan kept me updated throughout the job, sending photos of the work. His team left the place spotless, even washing down the roof on completion. Having had a few quotes from some rather suspect companies, these guys are so genuine and clearly take pride in doing the job well. Would recommend and call again if needed.
I am extremely impressed with the fascias, soffits, and gutter cleaning service! The team was efficient, professional, and thorough, leaving everything spotless. My gutters are now functioning perfectly, and the fascias and soffits look brand new. Highly recommend this service to anyone looking for quality and reliable work. Great job!
I am extremely satisfied with the service provided by SURESEAL ROOFING AND GUTTERING LTD. From the initial consultation to the completion of the project, the team was professional, efficient, and thorough. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of roofing services.
The owner and his team provided a great quotation, fair pricing, and excellent communication. I recently had my garage roof repaired and was very satisfied. The work was completed efficiently and to a high standard. Highly recommended!
Why repointing prices vary
Repointing is almost all labour, so the price comes down to how much of the stack needs doing and how deep the old mortar has to come out. Sometimes only the weather side has gone; sometimes all four faces are raked back to nothing. Lime work takes more care than cement, and a taller stack needs more scaffold. We quote from the drone photos, and the figure you get is the figure you pay.
What sets the price
- Faces of the stack needing work
- Depth of raking out
- Lime or cement mix
- Scaffold height and access
- Flaunching or pots needing attention
- Replacing bricks with blown faces
No surprises: the price on your written quote is the price you pay. No deposit.
From your call to a finished job
Tell us what's wrong
Tap the problem, fill in the short form or call Jamie. We respond fast, and emergencies get a call-out 24/7.
Free drone survey
We put a drone over the roof and show you the photos, so you see exactly what we see.
Fixed written quote
One price for the job that's actually needed. No deposit and no call-out charge.
Done and cleared
We do the work, take every bit of waste away and leave the place spotless.
Chimney repointing questions
How often does a chimney need repointing?
There is no fixed timetable, because exposure decides it. A stack facing the sea wind in Brighton wears faster than one sheltered inland. Repoint when the joints have sunk back from the face, crumble when scratched with a key, or drop sand into the gutter. A look from a drone every few years, or after a big storm, tells you exactly where you stand.
Should my chimney be pointed with lime or cement?
Match the mortar to the bricks. Soft bricks on houses built before about 1920 want lime mortar, which breathes and lets moisture out through the joints. Hard modern bricks take cement. Using cement on old soft brick traps water in the brick faces, and frost then blows them off. We check your bricks before we mix anything.
What happens if I leave crumbling chimney mortar?
Water gets into the stack, and the damage speeds up every winter. Wet brickwork freezes and spalls, the flaunching cracks, pots work loose and damp shows up on the chimney breast inside. In the end the top courses loosen and a repointing job turns into a rebuild. Catching it at the pointing stage is by far the cheapest fix.
Does repointing stop damp on a chimney breast?
It stops damp caused by rain soaking through open joints, which is one of the main culprits. If the damp comes from failed lead flashing, cracked flaunching or rain falling down an uncapped flue, repointing alone will not cure it. We check all four when we survey the stack and fix the actual cause, not just the obvious one.
Will new pointing match the rest of the house?
Yes. We match the colour and texture of the mix to your existing mortar by choosing the sand and, for lime work, the type of lime. Fresh pointing always looks a touch brighter at first and tones down as it weathers. We also copy the joint profile, so the finish sits right with the brickwork around it.
Is your chimney dropping sand into the gutter?
Get it repointed before the next winter turns a pointing job into a rebuild.