PSA: Watch out for old mortar in those 1920s houses in the historic district

Last month I was cleaning a flue in a 1920s bungalow downtown and the mortar between the bricks was basically dust. My brush knocked a bunch loose and I had a small pile of debris fall into the firebox. The homeowner said, 'Well, it's original,' like that was a good thing. Had to stop and recommend a full repoint before any more sweeping. Anyone else run into this a lot with the really old places?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanbell15h ago

Original" just means it's been falling apart for a century, not that it's good.

evac829h ago

Actually, original can mean both old and the first of its kind. Sometimes that means it's good, sometimes it just means it's historic.