heritage · Perth
Building restoration, The Coach House, Perth
Lime repointing, chimney rebuild, roof repairs, cast iron rainwater goods, new windows and repairs to sills, lintels and mullions.
Dundee based · Scotland wide
Chimney repairs and restoration in Dundee and across Scotland
A&B Building Solutions repairs and restores chimney stacks across Scotland, working from scaffold. We repoint stacks in lime, renew crowns and flaunching around the pots, strip and renew failed render, repair stone and brick, renew leadwork, and stabilise or rebuild stacks that have started to lean, from our base in Dundee.
CHAS accredited- Detailed surveys & specifications
- Scotland-wide coverage
What we repair
Chimney stack repairs
A chimney stack is the most exposed part of a building. It stands above the roof line, takes driving rain on every face, and freezes and thaws through every Scottish winter. When water gets into a stack it runs down inside the masonry and shows up as damp in the rooms below, often a long way from where it entered.
Repointing chimney stacks
Open joints are usually the first fault on a stack. On stone and older brick chimneys we rake out the failed mortar by hand and repoint in lime, which lets the masonry dry out. Hard cement pointing on an old stack traps water and speeds up decay of the stone or brick around it.
Crowns, flaunching and pots
The crown, or flaunching, holds the pots and sheds rain. Once it cracks, water goes straight into the top of the stack. We break out failed flaunching, make good the masonry beneath, and lay a new crown finished around the base of each pot. Loose pots are reset, and broken pots replaced.
Render and roughcast
Many Scottish stacks are rendered or roughcast. When the render cracks and loses its bond, it traps water against the masonry. We remove the defective render back to the original masonry, carry out the repairs that exposes, then apply a new render system and finish it to match the building.
Stone and brick repairs
Eroded or cracked stones are cut out and replaced or indented with matching stone. Spalled bricks are cut out and replaced. Copes and string courses that have cracked are repaired or renewed so they keep throwing water clear of the stack.
Leadwork and flashings
Where a stack meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out of the joint. Old lead splits and its pointing falls out. We renew flashings and soakers as part of a chimney repair.
Leaning and unstable stacks
A stack that leans, has cracked through or has lost much of its mortar may not be safe to repoint. Depending on its condition, we tie it back to the gable with wall ties, as we did on a stone gable restoration, or take it down to sound masonry and rebuild it, reusing the original stone or brick where it is sound.
Project example
Chimney crown restoration: see the difference.
On this traditional four-pot stack we repaired and resurfaced the crown from fixed scaffolding, made good the masonry around it and finished neatly around the base of each pot.
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Enquire about your repairRecent chimney work
Chimneys we have restored
On a large traditional stack that had cracked badly, we stripped the defective render and refinished it in roughcast. The render came off back to the original masonry, which let us repair the stack properly before the new render system went on.
On a four-pot masonry stack we repaired and resurfaced the crown from fixed scaffolding, made good the surrounding masonry and finished carefully around each pot.
On The Coach House in Perth, the chimney was rebuilt and waterproofed as part of a full building restoration that also covered roof repairs, lime repointing and new cast iron rainwater goods.
Our approach
How we carry out chimney repairs
Survey
We look at the stack, the roof around it and any damp inside, and photograph what we find.
Access
Scaffold planned for the building, with roof and pavement protection and any permits needed.
Inspection
A close inspection from the scaffold, which often shows more than can be seen from the ground.
Repairs
Pointing, crown, render, stone or brick repairs, or a rebuild, as agreed.
Leadwork
Flashings and soakers renewed where the stack meets the roof.
Handover
Photos of the finished stack, then the scaffold struck and the site cleared.
Who we work with
Who we do this for.
Factors and owners' associations deal with chimneys more than most, because a tenement stack is usually a shared repair. We survey the stack from scaffold, photograph what we find, and price each repair separately so owners can see where the cost goes.
Commercial and heritage building owners need stacks made safe without disrupting the building below. We plan scaffold, protection and pavement access around the building's use, and we are CHAS accredited.
Homeowners usually call us about damp in a chimney breast, cracked render or loose pointing seen from the street, or a stack flagged in a home report.
Project costs
What affects the cost.
Most of the cost of a chimney repair is access. A single stack on a bungalow can be reached from a tower or a small scaffold. A stack on a three-storey tenement needs full scaffold, often with a licence for the pavement and protection for the roof.
The rest depends on what the stack needs once we can see it up close: repointing, a new crown, new render, stone or brick repairs, new leadwork, or a partial or full rebuild. We price from a survey and list each item.
Projects
Our repair projects.
heritage
Full gable end restoration on a traditional stone property
Ivy and failed mortar removed, stainless steel crack stitching, chimney tied back with wall ties, then full lime repointing.
residential · Edinburgh
Chimney stack render removal and new roughcast, Edinburgh
Render removed back to the masonry, masonry repaired, then a new render system finished in roughcast.
What clients say on
Excellent service and work, they done a great job fixing my chimney, they were very prossional and friendly. I wouldnt hesitate in using them again
Frequently asked questions
Chimney repair questions.
How do I know if my chimney needs repairing?
The common signs are damp patches on a chimney breast or ceiling near the stack, cracked or missing render, open joints in the pointing, crumbling around the base of the pots, and pieces of masonry on the roof or in the gutter. A stack that looks out of line from the street needs checking soon.
Do you need scaffolding to repair a chimney?
For almost all chimney work, yes. Scaffold lets us work safely, inspect the whole stack and repair it properly rather than patching what can be reached from a ladder. We arrange the scaffold, and any permits it needs, as part of the job.
What is chimney flaunching?
Flaunching is the sloped mortar on top of the stack that holds the pots in place and sheds rain away from them. When it cracks, water runs down into the stack. We break out failed flaunching and lay new, finished neatly around each pot.
Can you repair a chimney that has been rendered?
Yes. Cracked render lets water in behind it and holds it there. We remove the defective render back to the masonry, repair what is underneath, and apply a new render, finished to match, such as an even roughcast.
Should a disused chimney be capped?
A disused flue still needs some ventilation, or condensation can cause damp inside. It should be fitted with a ventilated cap rather than sealed completely.
Where we work
Based in Dundee. Working throughout Scotland.
We repair chimneys across Scotland from our base in Dundee, including Dundee and Angus, Perth and Perthshire, Fife, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh and the Lothians, Stirling, Glasgow and the Central Belt.
Related services
Related specialist services.
Heritage Building Restoration
Sensitive repair and restoration of historic buildings and traditional fabric.
Stone Repairs & Lime Repointing
Stonework repairs and lime repointing for traditional masonry buildings.
Commercial Building Maintenance
Building and façade repairs for commercial properties and managed estates.
Start a conversation
Discuss your chimney repair project.
Tell us about the issue, location and timescale. Photos help. We'll get in touch to discuss the next steps.
CHAS accredited contractor.
2n Thorter Way, Dundee DD1 3AY.