Old Monee tuckpointing: matching 1890s mortar so the repair disappears
A landmarked house above the railroad cut needed its chimney repointed. The owner’s one condition: it could not look repointed.
The chimney
An 1890s house in Old Monee, the kind with corbeled brick at the top of the chimney and a beaded joint you only see on work from that era. The joints above the roofline had eroded back half an inch; a previous owner had smeared grey Portland mortar over a section on the weather side, and the brick around that patch was spalling while the rest of the chimney was fine. That patch was the lesson in one picture.
Three things to match
Strength first. The original mortar was lime and sand, soft enough to give when the brick moves with heat and moisture. We tested the old mortar and the brick and mixed a lime-rich Type O for the sheltered faces and Type N above the roof, both softer than the brick. Color and texture second: we pulled a clean sample of the original, matched the sand by grain and color from three local sources, and let three test patches cure a week on the back of the chimney before choosing. Joint profile third: the original was a beaded joint, struck with a specific tool. We found the tool, practiced on a mock-up, and struck every joint to match.
The result
We ground the failed joints out to three-quarters of an inch, packed the new mortar in lifts, struck the beads, and removed the Portland patch and its two spalled bricks, replacing them with reclaimed brick from a Kankakee tear-down. From the street you cannot tell where the work stops. From the roof, with the crown coated and a new stainless cap on, it is a chimney that will go another generation. It took longer than a standard repoint and cost about a third more. On a house like that it was the only honest way to do it.
If this sounds like your house: we handle chimney masonry repair across Kankakee County, and our Monee page covers what we usually find there. Call (815) 449-4264, 7am to 9pm, any day.
Quick questions
Why is modern mortar bad for old brick?
It is harder than the brick, so freeze-thaw stress goes into the brick face instead of the joint, and the brick spalls.
How do you match mortar color?
By matching the sand, which sets most of the color, then testing patches and letting them cure before choosing.
Does restoration tuckpointing cost more?
Somewhat, for the testing and the joint work. It lasts longer and does not damage the brick.
Can you source matching old brick?
Usually, from reclaimed stock. We bring samples to the house first.
Published October 1, 2026 · By Jacob Dove, Friendship Chimney Sweep, Bourbonnais IL