8
A job in Santa Fe made me rethink my whole approach to old adobe chimneys
I was cleaning a 200 year old adobe fireplace last month and found the mortar was basically just dust behind the soot. The owner said 'it's been fine for decades,' but one good push with the brush could have brought it down. How do you guys check for structural soundness before you even start a sweep on these really old builds?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
skyler1901mo ago
Holy crap, you just pushed on dust mortar?
8
miles721mo ago
Yeah that dust mortar thing is wild. Reminds me of a buddy who tapped a vintage brick wall with his knuckle and a whole section just sighed and turned to powder.
2
irismartinez22d ago
It's crazy how something that looks solid can just be held together by old air and habit. My uncle's fireplace did the same thing, just dissolved when he went to clean it for the first time in decades. You realize how much of an old house is just faith and paint.
4