This two-bedroom Lakeland stone cottage sits on the market square in Broughton-in-Furness, exposed to prevailing south-westerly weather systems sweeping in from the Duddon Estuary. The chimney stack, original to the property and estimated at over 180 years old, had deteriorated severely. The lime mortar pointing between the random rubble stonework had eroded to a depth of 40-50mm on the windward face, leaving individual stones barely held in place. The single clay chimney pot had a vertical crack running its full height, and the cement flaunching around its base had separated completely. Most critically, the lead step flashings where the stack met the slate roof had corroded through in two places, and the lead soakers beneath had never been properly dressed into the mortar joints — they were simply pushed in dry and had mostly fallen out. Every time it rained, water ran down the inside of the chimney breast, staining the living room wallpaper and causing the plaster to blow. A previous owner had applied an external sealant coating to the stack in an attempt to stop the leaks, but this had trapped moisture inside the stonework, accelerating the mortar decay.
After erecting a chimney scaffold with a working platform, we carefully dismantled the chimney stack stone by stone from the pot down to just below roofline level. Each stone was cleaned of old mortar and the failed sealant coating, numbered, and set aside for reuse. We then rebuilt the stack using the original stones in their original positions, bedding each one in a traditional NHL 3.5 natural hydraulic lime mortar that allows the stonework to breathe while providing excellent weather resistance. A new hand-thrown clay chimney pot was fitted with a generous lime mortar flaunching, and we installed a stainless steel bird guard to prevent nesting. The lead flashing was completely renewed — new Code 4 lead step flashings were let into freshly raked mortar joints at every course, with matching lead soakers beneath the slates. A new Code 4 lead back gutter was formed where the rear face of the stack meets the roof slope, dressed over a tilting fillet to ensure water flows cleanly away. Finally, we repointed the section of stack below roofline that remained in situ, using the same NHL 3.5 lime mortar.
The rebuilt chimney is visually indistinguishable from its original appearance — the reuse of numbered original stones ensures the character of this Broughton cottage is completely preserved. The breathable lime mortar allows trapped moisture to escape naturally, reversing the damage caused by the previous sealant application. The new lead flashings provide a watertight seal that will last well over a century, and the homeowner reported that the living room damp disappeared completely within a month of completion. The new bird guard has also resolved a long-standing problem with jackdaws nesting in the flue. This is a typical example of the heritage-sensitive chimney repair work we carry out across the Furness peninsula.
We exclusively use natural hydraulic lime mortar for chimney repairs on traditional stone and brick buildings. NHL 3.5 provides an excellent balance between strength and breathability — it sets hard enough to resist weather exposure on a chimney stack while remaining sufficiently vapour-permeable to allow trapped moisture to escape through the mortar joints rather than through the stonework. This is critical on this Broughton cottage where previous use of cement-based products and sealant coatings had trapped moisture and accelerated deterioration. The lime mortar was mixed with a well-graded sharp sand to match the warm buff colour of the original pointing.
All flashings, soakers, and the back gutter were formed from Code 4 milled lead to BS EN 12588. At 1.8mm thick, Code 4 provides the ideal balance of workability and durability for chimney flashings — thin enough to dress neatly into mortar joints and around complex shapes, yet heavy enough to resist wind uplift and last well over 100 years. Every piece was cut and bossed on site by our experienced leadworker to ensure a perfect fit to the irregular stonework of this Lakeland chimney.
The replacement chimney pot was sourced from a traditional pottery that hand-throws each pot individually, matching the proportions and style of the original Victorian pot. A machine-made pot would look conspicuously different on a heritage cottage of this age and character. The new pot is frost-rated to withstand Cumbria's harsh winters without the cracking that destroyed the previous pot over many decades of freeze-thaw cycling.
A purpose-made stainless steel bird guard was fitted to the new pot, preventing jackdaws and other birds from nesting in the flue while maintaining full ventilation for the open fire below. The guard is removable for chimney sweeping access and is virtually invisible from ground level, preserving the traditional appearance of the chimney stack.
From crumbling mortar joints to complete stack rebuilds, Mr Roofer UK provides expert chimney repair services across Broughton-in-Furness and the Duddon Valley. We specialise in heritage-sensitive lime mortar work and traditional lead flashing techniques that respect the character of your property. Contact your local Broughton roofer today for a free chimney inspection and quotation.
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