Chimney repointing, flaunching, cowls and capping across Chippenham — with the correct mortar for your stack's era. Lime on historic brick, flexible mortar on post-war stacks. Done from proper access.
In short: Chimney repointing in Chippenham costs £150–£800+ per stack depending on scope and access. Repointing, new flaunching, cowls and capping are itemised separately. We use NHL lime mortar on Victorian and historic stacks and flexible mortar on post-war brick — the correct specification matters more than anything.
A chimney stack takes more weather than any other part of the roof, exposed on all four sides, so the mortar joints erode first. Repointing rakes out the failed mortar and replaces it; flaunching is the mortar fillet holding the pots, which cracks and needs renewing; cowls cap the pots against rain and birds; and capping seals a redundant stack. The single most important decision is mortar type: hard cement on soft Victorian brick causes the brick face to spall and fail, so historic stacks need breathable NHL lime, while post-war stacks take a flexible modified mortar.
We assess the stack, pots, flaunching and flashings from scaffold or tower — problems invisible from the ground show up close.
NHL lime on historic brick, flexible modified mortar on post-war stacks. Wrong mortar causes more damage than none.
Failed joints are raked out and repointed; cracked flaunching is renewed to secure the pots.
Cowls fitted where needed, lead flashings checked, and the stack left weathertight with a guarantee.
Chippenham's chimney work splits cleanly by era. The Victorian and Edwardian stacks in Monkton Park, Hartham and along London Road are built in soft red brick with lime mortar, now 100–130 years old. On these the mortar has eroded and, crucially, they must be repointed in NHL hydraulic lime — not cement. Cement pointing on a soft Victorian stack traps moisture and forces the brick face to spall off instead of the joint, doing permanent damage. This is the most common mistake we're called to put right on Chippenham's period chimneys.
The post-war stacks on the Hardenhuish, Stanley and Cocklebury estates are harder brick and take a flexible polymer-modified mortar. These are exposed to Chippenham's prevailing south-westerly weather, and the weather-facing joints erode fastest. Flaunching — the mortar bed holding the pots — is the common failure across all eras: once it cracks, the pots loosen and rain gets into the stack, so renewing it is often the priority job.
Most chimney leaks in Chippenham come from one of three places: cracked flaunching letting water into the top of the stack, failed lead flashing where the stack meets the roof, or eroded pointing letting damp track through the brickwork. A proper inspection from scaffold catches all three — and it's why we won't quote chimney work from the ground, where the flaunching and pot condition simply aren't visible. Renewing flaunching runs £200–£400; combined with repointing and a cowl it's typically £500–£800.
Cowls matter on Chippenham's older properties where open pots let rain, birds and nesting debris into disused flues. A capping cowl on a redundant chimney or an anti-downdraught cowl on a working one solves persistent damp and draught problems cheaply. For stacks that are genuinely redundant, full capping — sealing the flue while maintaining ventilation to prevent condensation — is the permanent answer, and we'll advise honestly whether repointing or capping makes more sense for a stack you no longer use.
| Repointing — per stack (scope-dependent) | £150 – £800+ |
| New flaunching | £200 – £400 |
| Cowl supply & fit | £80 – £200 |
| Chimney capping (redundant stack) | £250 – £600 |
| Repoint + flaunch + cowl (combined) | £500 – £800 |
| Lime mortar (period stacks) | specified as standard |
Indicative Chippenham prices for guidance. Every quote is free, itemised and fixed before work starts — no call-out fee.
“Repointing of historic masonry should use a lime-based mortar compatible with the original; cement mortars are harder than soft historic brick and cause accelerated decay of the masonry face.” — Historic England / SPAB pointing guidance
Speak to a local Chippenham roofer today. Honest advice, itemised quotes, 10-year guarantee.
📞 Call 01249 247 076“Victorian stack on our Monkton Park house was crumbling. They repointed in lime, not cement, and explained exactly why that mattered. Flaunching renewed too. No more damp in the chimney breast.”
“Flaunching had cracked on our Hardenhuish chimney and the pots were loose. Renewed from scaffold, cowl fitted, sorted the downdraught too. Proper job.”
“Redundant stack on our Stanley house was letting damp in. They capped it properly with ventilation rather than just sealing it. Honest advice, fair price.”
Chimney repointing costs £150–£800+ per stack depending on scope and access. New flaunching is £200–£400, cowls £80–£200, and a combined repoint, flaunch and cowl typically £500–£800. We quote from proper access, not the ground.
Hard cement mortar on a soft Victorian stack traps moisture and forces the brick face to spall off instead of the joint — permanent damage. Historic stacks in Monkton Park, Hartham and along London Road need breathable NHL lime; post-war stacks take flexible modified mortar.
Flaunching is the mortar fillet at the top of the stack that holds the pots and sheds water. It cracks over time through frost and thermal movement, loosening the pots and letting rain into the stack. Renewing it (£200–£400) is often the priority repair.
The flaunching, pot condition and top of the stack simply aren't visible from ground level, and that's where most chimney problems are. We inspect from scaffold or tower so the quote reflects the actual condition — not a guess.
If you have a redundant flue letting in rain and birds, a capping cowl solves it. If a working flue suffers downdraught, an anti-downdraught cowl helps. On Chippenham's older open-pot chimneys, cowls are a cheap fix for persistent damp and draught problems.
If the stack is genuinely redundant, capping — sealing the flue while keeping ventilation to prevent condensation — is often the better permanent answer than repointing. We'll advise honestly based on whether you might ever want the flue back.
Three places: cracked flaunching at the top, failed lead flashing where the stack meets the roof, or eroded pointing letting damp track through the brick. A proper inspection catches all three — fixing only one when another is also failing just moves the leak.
Trusted local chimney repairs across Chippenham and Wiltshire. Free quotes, no call-out fee, 10-year guarantee.
Trusted local roof repairs across Chippenham and Wiltshire. Free quotes, no call-out fee, 10-year guarantee.
Trusted local heritage roofing across Chippenham and Wiltshire. Free quotes, no call-out fee, 10-year guarantee.
Free quotes, no call-out fee, 10-year guarantee. Serving Chippenham, Corsham, Calne, Melksham and all of Wiltshire.
📞 01249 247 076