I love Do-It-Yourself projects, probably because I'm cheap...and because I love working with my hands. This weekend I tackled replacing our masonry chimney cap.

We discovered a few weeks ago that the masonry cap on our chimney was broken and falling apart. Rather than wait weeks for a contractor to schedule an appointment, then maybe get back with us with a huge estimate at the beginning of next year, I decided to tackle the project myself. I also decided to video the steps in case anyone of you might want to try this project on your own.

The reason you have a masonry cap on your chimney in the first place, is to redirect rain and snow and create an even draft to pull smoke away.

To do this project, I used:

  • 3, 50 pound bags of clean play sand
  • 1, 80 pound bag of S-Type masonry mortar
  • 1, 1/8"sheet of plywood
  • A mixing tray
  • A trowel (optional)

Tools used:

  • A hammer
  • A chisel
  • A circular saw
  • hoe for mixing the mortar
  • 2 ladders
  • safety glasses
  • pencil
  • measuring tape
  • bucket

I hope you enjoyed the video. Is there a home improvement/repair segment you would like to see?

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