44 Gravel Hill Rd. Palmyra, PA 17078

Jeff Grubb Masonry

Grantville Before

Beyond the standard decay, I identified a critical problem: the original bricks are unique and no longer manufactured. Many of the existing bricks are too damaged to be reused in a standard horizontal orientation.

I carefully tore down the damaged sections, hand-selecting the bricks that are still structurally sound. To stretch the limited supply of original materials, a strategic design choice is made: use a “soldier course” (placing bricks vertically) on the visible outer faces.

Brick chimney with mesh cap on a shingled roof.
An aging brick chimney in Grantville showing significant weathering and obsolete brick patterns, with multiple metal mesh caps and visible mortar erosion near the roofline.
Brick chimney with metal mesh chimney caps on a shingled roof.

Grantville After

The final images show the completed chimney. The soldier course creates a beautiful, intentional architectural detail that looks like a deliberate design choice rather than a necessity. The chimney is fully functional, weather-tight, and most importantly, retains its original character despite the material shortage.

Restored Grantville chimney featuring a distinctive soldier course of original bricks along the outer face, preserving the home's historic aesthetic while ensuring structural stability.
Brick chimney with metal chimney cap on a shingled roof.
A red brick chimney with two metal chimney caps on a roof with asphalt shingles, surrounded by greenery.

Elizabethtown Before

When I arrived at this Elizabethtown property, the chimney was showing classic signs of ‘spalling’—where moisture gets trapped in the brick and causes the faces to pop off during the freeze-thaw cycle. The light green siding of the house made the red-brick deterioration even more visible, and I knew we needed to address the water entry at the crown before it compromised the interior walls.

Old brick chimney in disrepair attached to a house with green siding.
Old, weathered brick chimney on the side of a house with a screened porch.
Old, weathered brick chimney on a house with light green siding.
An old, weathered chimney protruding from a building with gray siding under a clear blue sky.

Elizabethtown After

I stripped back the weathered mortar and removed the compromised bricks. After carefully matching the new mortar to the home’s existing masonry, I rebuilt the upper sections and installed professional-grade metal flue caps. These caps act as an umbrella for the chimney, ensuring that this restoration will stay dry and structurally sound for decades to come.”

A freshly repaired brick chimney with a metal cap on a shingled roof.
A newly repaired brick chimney on the side of a house with light green siding.
A freshly repaired brick chimney with metal flue caps on a rooftop

Hershey Project Before

The Hershey project was a significant undertaking involving two chimneys. While the restoration process was largely the same for both, one was considerably worse off than the other, exhibiting a severe structural lean. As you can see from the scaffolding stages, safety and precision were my top priorities. The mortar had essentially turned back to sand in several sections, leaving the bricks stacked but no longer bonded together.

A close-up of a brick chimney against a backdrop of green trees and a sloped rooftop under a clear sky.
An old brick chimney with disrepair, featuring metal flue caps and signs of erosion.
Old brick chimney with visible wear and multiple chimney caps.
Brick chimney with metal caps and scaffolding on a rooftop with evergreen trees in the background.
A weathered brick chimney in disrepair with scaffolding for repair against a brick house.

Hershey Project During

Brick house chimney with scaffolding for reconstruction work, surrounded by a green lawn and bushes.
Brick house chimney with scaffolding for reconstruction work, surrounded by a green lawn and bushes.
Red brick chimney with scaffolding for reconstruction.

Hershey Project Completed

I worked my way down the structure, stabilizing the chimney as I went. This wasn’t just a surface repair; it was a deep-level reconstruction. By using a heavy-duty scaffold system, I was able to meticulously repoint the entire height of the chimney, finishing with a new concrete crown and custom-fit caps. The result is a chimney that isn’t just beautiful—it’s once again a structural pillar of this historic Hershey home.

Clean brick chimney on a shingled roof with autumn foliage in the background.
Repaired chimney with metal caps against a backdrop of fall trees.