A chimney stack refurbishment in Western Park, with the original pots saved and refitted

This chimney had been weathering for a long time. The mortar between the bricks was eroding and falling to the ground, the flaunching around the pots had broken up, and the pots themselves were starting to work loose. Left alone, that only goes one way — and with a stack this size, heavier pieces coming down from roof height is a genuine risk to anyone below.

What we found

Once the scaffold was up and we could get close, the lead flashing at the base of the stack — where it meets the roof — turned out to be cracked and split. That's where water gets in, and it isn't something you can see from the ground.

What we did

• Put up scaffolding to give safe access around the whole stack.
• Removed and disposed of the loose mortar.
• Lifted the three chimney pots off carefully so they could go back on.
• Ground out the brickwork joints across the stack and removed the old lead.
• Fitted new lead flashing to the chimney abutment.
• Repointed the stack, then re-flaunched the top with the original pots bedded back in place.

The whole job took three days.

Keeping the original pots

The pots were in great condition — hooded terracotta, the kind that suits the house and the street, and not worth swapping for new ones just because the stack beneath them needed work. Saving and refitting them meant the chimney looks the way it always has, only sound.

How it turned out

The photos speak for themselves: a lot tidier, and more importantly, safe.

Chimneys are easy to forget. Once the scaffold comes down, this one probably won't be looked at closely again for years — which is exactly why it's worth doing properly while you're up there. If yours is shedding mortar or the pots look loose, get in touch, or read more about our chimney work.