Spalling Bricks: What They Mean for Your Chimney

If you’ve noticed pieces of brick flaking off your chimney or bits of masonry on the ground, you’re seeing spalling. It’s a common problem on Hampshire chimneys and a sign that water has been at work.

What Spalling Looks Like

Spalling shows up as brick faces popping off, crumbling edges, pitted surfaces, or small piles of reddish grit at the base of the chimney. The brick looks like it’s peeling or shedding its outer skin. Sometimes whole chunks break away, leaving the rougher interior of the brick exposed to the weather. Homeowners across Hampshire count on timely attention to keep their systems safe.

Water and Freeze-Thaw

Brick is porous and absorbs water. In Illinois winters, that trapped water freezes, expands, and pushes the face of the brick outward until it cracks off. Each freeze-thaw cycle does a little more damage. The process accelerates when a chimney lacks a good crown or cap, because more water is getting in from the top and saturating the masonry. Our chimney repair service covers exactly this kind of work.

Why You Can’t Ignore It

Spalling isn’t just cosmetic. As bricks deteriorate, the chimney loses structural integrity and the gaps let even more water into the system. Left long enough, sections can become unstable, and water reaching the flue and surrounding framing creates safety problems. Catching spalling early means replacing a few bricks instead of rebuilding a crown or a whole stack.

Repair and Prevention

Repair involves removing and replacing the damaged brick with matching units and sound mortar, then addressing the water source, usually a failing crown, missing cap, or bad flashing. Once repaired, a breathable masonry water repellent can slow future absorption without trapping moisture inside. We assess how far the spalling has progressed and recommend the right scope rather than overbuilding the fix.

Catching It at the Annual Visit

Spalling rarely appears overnight, which is exactly why an annual inspection matters. During a routine visit we can spot the early pitting and surface flaking before bricks start falling, and we trace the water source that’s driving it. Addressing a failing crown or missing cap at that stage stops the damage from spreading to more brick. The homeowners who catch spalling early almost always spend far less than those who wait until the chimney is shedding masonry onto the roof. Early eyes save both brick and budget, and they keep a cosmetic flake from becoming a structural problem down the line.

Published October 29, 2026 · Imperial Chimney Sweepers, DeKalb, IL