The Historic Brookline Chimney Restoration
The Historic Brookline Chimney Restoration
The Harrison family lives in a beautiful 1930s colonial in Brookline, MA. Following a heavy Nor’easter in late September, they found chunks of mortar and a loose brick on their back patio. Concerned about safety, they called us for an inspection. Upon scaling the roof, our team discovered that the 80-year-old chimney stack was severely compromised. The mortar had turned to dust due to decades of freeze-thaw cycles, and the structure had a visible lean toward the roofline. Furthermore, the water penetration had begun to rot the sheathing in the attic. The challenge was not just structural; the home is in a historic district, meaning the repair had to match the original aesthetic perfectly.
Client:
The Harrison Family
Categories:
Chimney Services
Date:
October 12, 2025
Tags:
ChimneyRepair
The Solution We Offered The Client
We immediately set up safety scaffolding to protect the roof and the patio below. We carefully dismantled the unsafe chimney stack brick by brick down to the roofline. Because standard modern bricks would clash with the vintage exterior, we sourced reclaimed “water-struck” bricks that matched the existing masonry’s color and texture.
We rebuilt the chimney using a Type N mortar mix, specifically chosen for its flexibility and suitability for historic restoration. We installed a new stainless steel flue liner to ensure the fireplace was safe to use and fabricated custom lead flashing at the base to create a watertight seal against the slate roof. Finally, we crowned the stack with a custom-cut single-piece bluestone cap with a drip edge to shed water away from the masonry.
The result
The chimney is now the strongest part of the house. The lean is gone, the leaks have stopped, and the aesthetic match is so precise that neighbors cannot tell where the old brick ends and the new brick begins.
We were terrified when we saw bricks falling off our house. Log Masonry put us at ease immediately. They didn’t just patch it; they fixed it the right way. The crew was respectful of our property, and the new chimney looks like it’s been there forever. We can finally use our fireplace again with peace of mind!
David Harrison
