Mortar joint erosion on historic brick chimneys
Why it happens here
The marine layer keeps masonry damp most mornings, and older mortar was not formulated for that. Joints recede, water gets in, and the cycle accelerates. Homes near Camarillo Old Town and the Pleasant Valley Road area see this more than anywhere else in the city.
Our approach
We grind out the failed mortar to the correct depth and repack with a tuckpointing mortar matched to the original in color, sand, and hardness. Soft historic brick needs soft mortar, or the brick spalls instead of the joint. Then we waterproof with a vapor-permeable sealant.