Answers

It looks like the mason did a good job concerning the texture. But the color is way off. Unfortunatly its not easy to match new to old. The good news- Staining morter isnt hard to do if its not sealed. I suggest a few practice bricks and some best efforts at staining them to match, then do the rest. The bad news- it will probably never be pefect and if it is it will show after a few years of all that Texas weather torture.

My professional fireplace company has two options, of which we've implemented one for our clients in the past. If you want to essentially permanently block it off, there is something like an "air pillow" which will blow up inside the flue to block it.

The solution we've used is a spring-loaded chimney cap. It sits on top of your masonry chimney flue above the roof. It has a long chain which comes into your fireplace. You use the chain to release it when you want to burn a fire. You pull the chain down to seal it when you are not having a fire.

Added advantage: better energy efficiency and indoor air quality! Keeps air from blowing out the chimney or being sucked backward through the chimney into the house!

here is a link to a good article on How to get squirrels out of an attic.

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/professional-trapper/squirrels-attic.htm

On the squirrel removal, best to call a trapper or get a trap. 

That area agains the home can be covered with some heavy guage counter flashing and sealed up prior to that with some fast setting mortar. 

We have a client that recently dealt with a similar situation, but it was a racoon. They installed a one-way door, made from galvanized mesh, over the hole. Once the varment was out, the clean-up and repairs could be made. There are liquids that be applied that will keep them away once everything is sealed up.

Hey John, 

A few questions first.

Is the chimney functional?  Is the flu venting anything in the home (i.e. furnace)?  Does the chimney go through the roof, or next to the roof on the eave or rake?

If the chimney is not functional and it does not vent anything in the home, you may want to address the problem at the roof by closing it off.  This will make sure no bugs or water can enter into the home.  If the chimney is through the roof, you will need to tear the structure down below the sheathing, install blocking around the chimney box, and install new sheathing over top the chimney.  Exterminators are always the best experts to call for bug problems.  If they keep coming back, it may be time to try a different company. Hope this helps!

Eric Consuegra

AROCON Roofing and Construction, LLC