Northeast Seattle — Missing Mortar, a Broken Crown and a Fouled Flue
Mortar gone from the joints, a crown cracked through and mossy, and Stage 2–3 creosote inside. The outside and the inside were both dealt with in the same job.
The Challenge
The inspection recorded the joints as missing mortar, not merely eroded — once the mortar is gone the wall stops shedding water and starts absorbing it, and every freeze after that opens the joint further. The crown above had cracked through and moss had settled in the split, which keeps the crack wet year round. Inside, the flues carried Stage 2–3 creosote: the hard, glazed kind that no longer brushes off and that is what actually catches fire.
Our Solution
The deteriorated joints were ground out and repointed with colour-matched mortar, so the repair reads as part of the original wall rather than a patch. The crown was rebuilt with a proper slope and drip edge. Inside, the flues were swept top to bottom with HEPA containment, the glazed creosote removed with rotary brushing and chemical treatment, and the result verified with a camera pass.
The Result
A wall that sheds water again, a crown that throws it clear, and flues checked clean on camera rather than declared clean. Quoted 3 June 2026.