A corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal protruding from a wall to carry weight. A chimney corbel, in very simple terms, is a brick bump-out.
You will find essential chimney corbelling in the smoke chamber or on a multi-flue outside wall chimney, this area is also known as a shoulder.
You may also find corbelling towards the top of the chimney. This type of corbelling is normally decorative and is nonessential to the function of the chimney. Decorative corbelling can vary from a very simple one-course design to ornate arrangements.
At one time, the corbel seemed to be an unneeded additional cost add-on that homeowners weren’t interested in. Function and cost savings may have overruled the desire to add embellishment to the masonry structure, which is understandable. Time is also a factor. You can rebuild a plumb chimney much faster than one with a corbel at the peak.
I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but over the last year or so we have seen a big shift. Homeowners are now asking questions about brick, mortar, and decorative corbel style options. Even chimneys without existing corbelling are getting a fresh new designer look!
Corbels are a beautiful way to give your home character and architectural interest. Let Boston’s Best Chimney help you make your chimney pièce de résistance of your home. If you’re located in the Greater Boston, MA area, we’re here to serve you! Search online for a desired look and call us today at (781) 893-6611 for a free estimate. If you are in need of other chimney services such as chimney inspections, chimney sweeps, chimney masonry work, installations, or commercial chimney work, don’t hesitate to contact us.