Brick and flaunching problems on a chimney stack often go hand in hand, and on the exposed, older stacks common across Hotwells, dealing with one without properly considering the other tends to mean the same problem resurfacing before too long. Understanding how the two interact helps explain why a proper inspection usually looks at both together rather than treating them as separate jobs. Because the two problems are so closely linked, a repair that addresses only one is often only a temporary fix, with the other issue continuing to cause damage in the background.
Flaunching is the mortar fillet at the very top of the stack, shaped to shed rainwater away from the pots and hold them securely in place. It takes more direct weathering than almost anything else on the chimney, sitting fully exposed at the highest point of the roof, and on properties near the water in Hotwells this exposure can be more pronounced still. Once flaunching cracks, water runs straight down into the flue rather than off the stack, which is a very common and easily overlooked source of chimney leaks. Because it is mixed and shaped by hand at the top of the stack, the quality of the original flaunching work can also vary noticeably between one property and the next.
Spalling brickwork, where the face of a brick cracks and flakes away after repeated freeze-thaw cycles, is frequently found on the same stacks affected by failed flaunching, since water running off cracked flaunching often saturates the brickwork immediately below it. The two problems can effectively feed each other: failing flaunching lets water into the brickwork, and spalling brick then compromises the structure the flaunching needs to sit on securely, weakening the whole top of the stack. Left long enough, this combination can eventually affect the stability of the pots themselves, since they rely on sound flaunching and brickwork beneath them to stay properly seated.
Repairing flaunching involves removing the old, cracked mortar fillet and forming a new one in an appropriate mix, sloped correctly to shed water away from the pots rather than pooling around them. Brick replacement, where needed, means cutting out the damaged bricks and rebuilding with matching material, ideally reclaimed or closely matched brick on period properties where original stock is no longer available new.
Because both repairs need scaffolding or tower access to carry out safely, it makes practical sense to address flaunching and brickwork together in a single visit rather than returning separately for each, particularly given how common it is to find both problems affecting the same stack at the same time. It also means only one round of scaffolding costs needs to be paid, rather than two separate visits some months apart as each problem eventually forces the issue.
If your Hotwells chimney has cracked flaunching or flaking brickwork, or you are not sure which is the underlying cause of a leak, a proper inspection will clarify the scope needed. Brunel Roofing Bristol offer free inspections and quotes, with all work backed by a 15-year guarantee.
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