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Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
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AfterSpalling Brick Repair in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Spalling brick repair in Fort Lauderdale typically costs between $400 and $3,500-see our 2026 chimney repair cost guide for Fort Lauderdale-depending on how many bricks have failed and whether the damage has moved into the chimney’s structural core. Spalling happens when moisture gets trapped inside the brick, and in Fort Lauderdale’s salt-heavy coastal air, that moisture pulls in chlorides that accelerate the freeze-thaw and salt-crystallization cycle that pops the brick face off. If you’re seeing brick chips on your patio, flaking faces on your chimney, or a red dust collecting at the base of your fireplace, we’ll fix it and put the full repair in writing.
Flint Chimney Co Fort Lauderdale has been doing this work since 2002 as part of the Garrison Partners family of independently owned chimney service companies. Every spalling repair we take on gets a written price before the first tool comes off the truck, a full-year written guarantee, and a crew that shows up in uniform, background-checked, and ready to work. If you’re tired of chimney companies that quote one number and bill another, call (754) 354-1430 and we’ll put the number in writing. This page lives under our broader Chimney Repair in Fort Lauderdale service, but it covers the brick-specific work we do more than anyone else in the area.
For the full scope of what we handle beyond brick, see our Chimney Repair overview page.
When You Need Spalling Brick Repair
Here’s what spalling brick looks like in the real world, and what to check before you call us. Note that we’re not giving you a DIY fix list here. Spalled chimney brick is a structural problem and working at chimney height is genuinely dangerous. Call us, and we’ll handle it from a ladder or scaffold with the right rigging.
- Brick faces popping off in sheets. The flat outer face of a brick is only about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch thick. When it fails, it peels off like a scab, leaving a soft red sponge of exposed interior brick behind. In Fort Lauderdale, we see this most on chimneys that face east and take the full force of Atlantic storms.
- Red or orange dust at the base of the fireplace. That dust is the brick shedding its own body. It gathers under the firebox and inside the ash dump. It’s not normal, and it won’t stop on its own.
- Chimney bricks that are soft to the touch. A sound fired brick is hard, like ceramic. A spalling brick is chalky. If you can scratch a chunk off with a house key, the brick has lost its fired skin and is on its way out.
- Visible cracking that runs through the brick, not just the mortar. Mortar cracks are a separate repair. A crack that runs through the brick body itself tells you the brick has expanded from absorbed moisture and is actively failing.
- White salt crust on the chimney face. That’s efflorescence, and it’s the signature of salt-driven moisture moving through the masonry. Fort Lauderdale’s sea air loads the brick with chlorides. Left alone, that salt crystallizes inside the brick, builds pressure, and pops the face off. If you see white crust, spalling is usually months away.
- Water pooling at the chimney base after rain. Pooling water is less a symptom than a preview. It’s feeding the brick from below, and on a Fort Lauderdale chimney, it never dries fully before the next storm. That persistent wet-dry cycle is what spalls bricks.
If you’re seeing any of these, call us at (754) 354-1430. We’ll schedule a look and give you a real number.
Our Spalling Brick Repair Process
The process below-starting with mortar repointing when joints have failed-is how we’ve done spalling repair for over two decades. The written guarantee is the frame around all of it: we document what we find, what we’ll do, and what it costs, before we touch a single brick.
- Visual inspection and moisture reading. We come to the home, get on the roof or set up where we can see the chimney face fully, and map the damage. We check for spalling, cracking, efflorescence, and soft brick. We’ll also check the crown and flashing, because water entry from above is often the root cause feeding the spall. If we find signs that the inner flue liner is compromised, we’ll tell you that too and fold it into the chimney repair plan.
- Written scope and price. Here’s the part where we do what most chimney companies in Fort Lauderdale won’t: we hand you a written quote that lines out the brick count, the material, the labor, and the total. There’s no “we’ll see when we open it up.” The number on the quote is the number on the invoice, period. That’s The Garrison Code, and we don’t deviate from it.
- Brick removal and surface prep. We cut out the failed brick with a grinder or masonry saw, working brick by brick. We don’t yank a row and hope for the best. Each removed brick is matched for size and color. We also route out and repoint the surrounding mortar joints if they’re failing, because a new brick in a dying joint just spalls the new brick later.
- Replacement with matched brick and proper mortar. We install new brick using a mortar that matches the existing chemistry, not whatever sack mix is cheapest at the lumberyard. On a Fort Lauderdale chimney, that means a mortar that can handle salt exposure without cracking. We bed each brick fully, leave no voids, and tool the joints to match the original profile.
- Optional waterproofing and crown repair. If the spalling was driven by water entry from a cracked crown or failed flashing, those need to be addressed, or the new brick will spall just like the old. We can apply a breathable masonry sealer that lets water vapor out but blocks liquid water in, and we’ll repair or replace the crown if it’s cracked. Both are optional, and both are priced in writing if you want them.
- Final inspection and your written guarantee. We walk you through every brick we replaced, show you the mortar joints, and hand you the guarantee. It’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, valid for a full year from the service date. If a covered repair fails in that year, we come back out and fix it at no charge. No phone tree, no re-quote, no argument.
Spalling Brick Repair Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Spalling brick repair is priced by the brick. A few failed faces near the base of the chimney run less. Damage up the full height of the chimney runs more. Here’s what we charge in the Fort Lauderdale market, in plain dollars.
| Repair Scope | Typical Price Range | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Minor spalling (1 – 5 brick faces) | $400 – $900 | Removal, replacement, mortar match, cleanup |
| Moderate spalling (6 – 15 brick faces) | $900 – $2,200 | Full brick replacement, surrounding joint repointing |
| Extensive spalling (16+ brick faces or full-face rebuild) | $2,200 – $3,500+ | Large-scale brick replacement, possible crown repair, waterproofing options |
| Crown repair (if root cause is up top) | $300 – $1,200 | Crack repair or full crown rebuild, depending on condition |
What moves the price in Fort Lauderdale specifically: access. If your chimney is on a steep roof, or we need a lift to get safe access, the labor hours go up. Second, the brick match. Some Fort Lauderdale homes built in the 1950s and 60s used brick that’s no longer manufactured. When we can’t source an exact match, we hand-select the closest available and blend it so the repair doesn’t look like a patch. That takes time, and time is in the quote.
Third, waterproofing. We recommend it on nearly every Fort Lauderdale chimney because the salt air attacks masonry faster here than anywhere else in Florida. It’s optional. It’s priced separately. We won’t push it, and we won’t hide it in the brick quote.
You’ll get a free estimate for any spalling repair. Call (754) 354-1430, and we’ll get a tech out to look at your chimney, hand you the number, and put it in writing before you commit to anything.
FAQs – Spalling Brick Repair
Can you repair spalling brick, or do I need to rebuild the whole chimney?
In most cases we can repair spalled brick by removing the failed units and replacing them with matched new brick, without rebuilding the whole chimney. A total rebuild is only needed when the spalling covers more than about a third of the chimney face, or when the structural core has crumbled. We’ll tell you which one your chimney needs, and we’ll put it in writing with a price. Call (754) 354-1430 and we’ll take a look for free.
Is it cheaper to repair spalled bricks or replace them?
Repairing spalled brick is almost always cheaper than replacing the entire chimney, often by thousands of dollars. A few brick replacements run $400 to $900, while a full chimney rebuild in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $8,000 and up. But there’s a threshold: when more than about a third of the brick face has failed, patching becomes a losing game, because the water keeps moving through unrepaired brick and spalling the new work. We’ll show you the numbers for both paths and let you decide. For an exact quote, call (754) 354-1430 and we’ll come out free.
How long does spalling brick repair take?
Most spalling repairs in Fort Lauderdale are done in a single day. A minor repair of 5 to 10 brick faces takes 3 to 5 hours. A moderate job with repointing around the repair zone takes the full day. Extensive rebuilds take 2 to 3 days depending on access and weather. We’ll give you a firm time window in the quote, and we hold it. If you need it done this week, call (754) 354-1430 and we’ll tell you what’s on the schedule.
Why is my chimney brick flaking in Fort Lauderdale when the rest of the house is fine?
Your chimney brick is flaking because it’s the most exposed masonry on your home, and Fort Lauderdale’s salt-laden Atlantic air is brutal on brick. Chimneys sit up in the wind, facing storms, with no overhang to shed water. Rain soaks the brick, the salt in the air and in the water crystallizes inside the pores, and the pressure pops the face off. The rest of your house brick is protected by eaves and drainage, so it doesn’t take the same beating. Sealing the chimney with a breathable masonry sealer after we replace the spalled brick is the most reliable way to slow that failure cycle down. Call (754) 354-1430 and we’ll assess the whole chimney, not just the flaking bricks.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Co Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale.