Expert chimney repointing across Chichester — lime mortar on period stacks, flaunching renewal, cowls and capping. We solve the damp problems that failed pointing causes, correctly and for good. Free survey.
Chimney repointing in Chichester costs £150–£800+ per stack depending on scope and access, with flaunching, cowls and capping itemised separately. Period stacks require lime mortar — cement causes spalling. Free survey, no call-out fee. Call 01243 278085. We diagnose the real damp entry point and fix it correctly, solving problems internal treatments cannot.
Chimney repointing rakes out the failed mortar joints in the stack and repoints them in the correct mortar for the property. On Chichester's Victorian and Edwardian stacks, that means lime mortar — and getting this right is the single most important decision in the job. Repointing runs £150–£800+ per stack depending on height, exposure and access.
The flaunching — the mortar bed the pots sit in — often fails alongside the pointing, and renewing it is itemised separately. We also fit cowls to prevent rain ingress and bird nesting, and cap redundant flues where a chimney is no longer in use. Each element is priced individually so you see exactly what you're paying for.
On a period Chichester chimney, Portland cement is the wrong material. It is too rigid for the differential movement of old brickwork and traps moisture against the brick, causing the faces to spall and crumble over 10–15 years. Lime mortar is softer, breathable and flexible — it accommodates movement and lets the structure breathe. Soft brick with hard mortar means the brick fails first.
Chimney exposure varies sharply across Chichester, and it drives how quickly pointing fails. The most exposed stacks — on the coastal fringe at Selsey, the harbour-edge properties in Bosham and Pagham, and any elevated position catching the prevailing south-westerly weather — take the full force of salt-laden wind and driving rain on their weather face. Pointing on these stacks fails faster and needs the most durable lime specification.
The brick and mortar era of the property dictates the correct approach. The Victorian terraces of St Pancras and Whyke were built with soft handmade brick and lime mortar — repointing these in anything but lime causes visible damage within years. The interwar semis of Summersdale used harder brick but still benefit from a lime-based repointing that matches the original.
The most common chimney call we get in Chichester is persistent damp on the chimney breast that other trades have failed to solve — often after damp-proofing or internal treatment that never addressed the real cause. In the great majority of cases the culprit is failed flashing, failed flaunching, or open pointing letting water into the stack. We diagnose the actual entry point and fix it in the correct materials, which is why our chimney repairs solve damp that repeated internal treatments could not.
Repointing is priced per stack by scope, with flaunching, cowls and capping itemised separately. Chichester sits at the southern England baseline for labour. Lime mortar is standard specification on all period properties — not an upgrade.
Repointing and repair of masonry chimney stacks should use a mortar compatible with the original construction; on historic soft-brick stacks a lime-based mortar is appropriate to avoid accelerating decay.
— NFRC / Building Regulations Approved Document J guidance
Persistent chimney damp? We diagnose the real cause — free survey
📞 01243 278085Chimney repointing is skilled work that looks simple and is not. Done correctly in the right mortar it lasts decades; done wrong it accelerates the very decay it was meant to arrest. Here is how ours works, and why the material choice is everything.
A chimney stack is the most exposed masonry on the building, and reaching it safely requires proper access — usually a scaffold or tower. We assess the whole stack at close range: the pointing, the flaunching that beds the pots, the flashing where the stack meets the roof, and the brickwork itself. Often the pointing is only part of the problem, and a proper assessment catches the flaunching or flashing failure that would otherwise let water in regardless of new pointing.
We rake out the failed mortar to a proper depth — a superficial smear over old mortar does not last — and repoint in mortar matched to the original. On Chichester's Victorian and Edwardian stacks that means lime mortar, which is softer and more breathable than the brick and moves with it. The finish is struck to shed water and match the property.
The flaunching — the sloping mortar bed the pots sit in — cracks and fails with age, letting water into the stack from the top. Renewing it is often essential alongside repointing. We fit cowls to keep out rain and birds, and cap redundant flues where a chimney is no longer used, always retaining ventilation to prevent internal condensation. Each element is priced separately so you see exactly what the job includes.
This is the decision that determines whether the work lasts. Portland cement is hard and rigid; the soft handmade brick of a Victorian Chichester stack is not. Cement traps moisture against the brick and cannot flex with the structure, so the brick faces spall and crumble — the mortar outlives the brick, which is exactly backwards. Lime mortar is soft, breathable and flexible; it protects the brick and lets the stack breathe. Repointing a period stack in cement causes visible damage within years and is far more expensive to reverse than it ever saved.
The most common reason we are called to a Chichester chimney is damp on the breast that other trades could not solve, often after fruitless internal treatment. The cause is nearly always external: failed flashing, cracked flaunching, or open pointing letting water into the stack. We find the actual entry point and close it in the correct materials. That is why our chimney work solves damp that repeated internal treatment could not touch.
"Chimney repointing on our exposed Selsey property. Lime mortar, proper flaunching, new cowls. Solved a damp problem two others couldn't."
"Repointed the stack on our Victorian Whyke terrace in the correct lime mortar. No more damp on the chimney breast. Excellent work."
"Chimney was letting water in for years. They diagnosed the flashing and flaunching properly and fixed it for good. Highly recommend."
Chimney repointing costs £150–£800+ per stack in Chichester, depending on height, exposure and access. Flaunching renewal (£200–£500), cowls (£80–£250) and flue capping (£150–£400) are itemised separately. Free survey, no call-out fee.
Portland cement is too rigid for old brickwork and traps moisture, causing the brick faces to spall over 10–15 years. Lime mortar is softer, breathable and flexible — it accommodates movement and protects the soft handmade brick of Chichester's Victorian stacks. Using cement causes damage that is expensive to reverse.
Usually, yes. Persistent chimney-breast damp is most often caused by failed flashing, failed flaunching or open pointing — not by anything requiring internal damp treatment. We diagnose the real entry point and fix it in the correct materials, solving damp that internal treatments could not.
Yes. We fit cowls to prevent rain ingress and bird nesting (£80–£250), and cap redundant flues where a chimney is no longer used (£150–£400). Capping a disused flue must retain ventilation to prevent condensation, which we always provide for.
Rebuilding is needed only when the stack has structural movement, when spalling has compromised the brickwork, or when mortar failure is so comprehensive the stack is unstable. Most chimney problems are repairable by repointing and flashing work. We assess honestly at survey.
Yes. A full lead flashing set costs £350–£750. We use Code 4 lead with correctly formed soakers and stepped cover flashings fixed into raked joints — not the single-piece mastic-sealed apron that fails within a decade.
Yes. All chimney work carries our written 10-year workmanship guarantee. We are NFRC registered and fully insured, with credentials available on request.
Lime mortar chimney specialists for Chichester's period properties. Free survey, no call-out fee.
01243 278085 ✉ Email Us