Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-30
Building Brick Chimney.T0ps.

AS cHIsiNEY-ToPs are exposed to the al
ternate influences of wet and dry, freezing
and thawlng, more than any other part of
a brick edifice, it is important thai the
bricks and the mortar should be Of the best
quality. Many brickmasons of the pres-
ent day do no appear to know that when
mortar is made of lime and loan for
building chimney-tops both the bricks
and the mortar will absorb rain until the
entire top is thoroughly saturated. Then,
in cold weather, before the water has
evaporated, the brick work is frequently
frozen through and through by which
means such brick as have been burned TO
dark cherry-red color will be disinte-
grated by the frost, and the mortar will
bulge out at every joint. If the chimneys
are not covered with copestone or brick
work rain will flow down on the inside;
and if the chimney extends down through
the attic the wall on the side of the brick
work will be seriously damaged. In MANY
instances we have known such volume
OF water to fall down the inside of large
chlmneV-top as to saturate the bottom
bricks to excess, and then pass down be-
yond the closet, or other foundation on
which the chimney rested, TO the serious
injury OF walls beneath. We have in
mind a chlmney-top standing on a closet
IN the attic of farmers dwelling which
collected such a volume of water during
every protracted storm that cOlored
liquid would flow down through the bot
tom of the chimney, and they were oblig-
ed to keep washtub beneath to collect
the droppings. After q bushel of sand
was poured down in the top of the chin
ney 70 more liquid passed through
The bricks of every chimney-top should
be so thoroughly burned that they will
not disintegrate if allowed to lie on the
ground from year to year. Then when
they are laid they should be soaked in
water until they cease 10 absorb it. When
dry bricks are laid in mortar the moisture
of the mortar will be absorbed so readily
by the bricks that the union between the
mortar and bricks will be simply me-
chanical, and there will be comparatively
little strength in the mortar, for the reason
that it dries too rapidly. But when wet
and hard-burned bricks are laid up in
mortar made of clean sand-say four or
five parts, one part of good lime just
Stacked, and one part of prime cement
the mortar will unite with the bricks, dry
slowly and become almost as solid as the
bricks. We have in mind large chimney
tops which were built in the foregoing
manner in the year 1905, and which are in
good condition at the present time, hav-
ing never been repaired during that long
period.
When chimney collects so much wa
ter that it soaks through the sides or bot
tom to the injury of the wall, brick arch
should be made over the top, or cap
stone should cover it, supported at the
four corners by pieces of bricks, SO that
there will be free passage beneath the
stone of not less than four inches on both
sides of the chimney Half a dollars
worth of good cement, in connection with
good lime and clean sand, will often save
an expense for repairs and damage to
walls amounting to ten or more dollars
n. 7. Herald.