For your reading pleasure, several new columns have been added to Mortar Mouth:

KEEPING MY AMBITIOUS READERS PROTECTED

Here is a not-too-picturesque chimney—with cracked blocks covered in rust from an old steel cap, slathered with mortar and caulk, and in so much movement that the flashing was ripped up from the roof. The whole thing could have been pushed to the ground with one hard heave. Somebody once made the mistake of leaning a ladder against it for cleaning, and had a good, wobbly scare.

I tore everything down to the roofline and determined that what lay below was sound. The replacement blocks of concrete I used for the rebuilding were the “stone-faced” variety. These rough faces jut out a half-inch from the smooth block ends, so the corners appear to be out of plumb, which they’re not. A rustic look. 

Installed new aluminum flashing, and would’ve liked to install some new appliance venting to replace the rusty and crooked pipe to the left. 

If anything is perfect in this world, I would like to hear about it. 

This flower/planter box was built only 30-odd years ago, but the cap brick joints were deeply raked instead of being flush-cut for the best shedding of water, and there were no weep holes. Masonry structures open to the weather need these drainage openings. 

Around 50 bricks on this box were too far gone for repair and were replaced. 

I couldn’t stand the look of nine opened head (vertical) joints, especially at different levels on this sloped work, and so ran cotton clotheslines through them from the outside to the inside of the box, and mortared the lines in. You can see the cord ends dangling over the walk, in fresh mud that hasn’t lightened yet. The cords will be burned off either just on the ends, or through the wall, leaving just a small drain hole.

The figurine in the background made me think a couple of times that I was being visited by some homeless waif.