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Springtime Chimney Leak Repairs

When you think of using your fireplace, cold winter nights usually come to mind. Winter seems like the ideal time to use your fireplace; however, it’s also great to use to get the chill out of the house on autumn nights and cool spring evenings. That being said, if you’re using your chimney in the spring, you might notice that your chimney is having problems, especially leaks as the rainy season is here. When leaks appear, the best time to fix them is in the spring.

 

Springtime Chimney Leak RepairsThe Problems Water Causes

When the mortar between the bricks or stones breaks down, not only can the exterior of your chimney be damaged, but the interior can be damaged as well. According to CSIA, all masonry chimneys are susceptible to the weathering that occurs from being exposed to outdoor elements such as rain, snow, and sleet. Although the stones in stone chimneys aren’t as likely to be affected as bricks are, the mortar that holds the stones together is. The CSIA website also states that when your ​chimney leaks​, several things can be damaged. Some of these problems could include a deteriorating central heating system, stained chimney exterior, rusted damper assembly, and stained ceiling and walls. It can also cause the chimney lining to break down, and if the mortar has already deteriorated and cracked, that can mean that some of the gases that are released during combustion could be sneaking back into the house, where they can cause health issues for you and your family. If you suspect that your chimney is leaking, give ​Chim Cheroo Chimney Service​ a call so we can repair it before it causes further damage!

How Water Causes Problems

Rain, sleet, or snow can cause some big problems for your mortar chimney. Precipitation can wear away at your mortar, but even worse is the freeze/thaw cycle. During this cycle, water will seep into the porous mortar and even into the surface of the brick and sit there until the temperature drops to freezing. When water freezes, it expands. This causes cracks to appear where there used to be just pores. When it melts, those cracks fill in with liquid again, and the cycle continues. These cracks can cause big problems. There are ​other problems​ that can make your chimney leak as well. It could be the flashing those sheet metal strips that keep the junction where your chimney and roof meet tight. Sometimes the flashing leaks because it wasn’t properly installed, and sometimes it just wears out over time, rusts due to precipitation, or becomes torn in heavy winds. Whatever the reason, this can cause leaks.

Another place that is susceptible to leaks is at the top of the chimney, at the chimney cap or the chimney crown. The crown, which is the topmost built-on piece of the chimney, is designed in a way to keep the rain away from the area where the roof meets the chimney. It’s made of cement, so it could also be affected by the freeze-thaw cycle. If this happens, it does need to be repaired so that the leaks are stopped before they even start. The chimney cap, which sits on top of the chimney crown, is actually designed as a roof over the chimney opening, and it directs precipitation to the sloped edge of the chimney crown. If this gets rusty or damaged, it will allow precipitation to enter into the chimney as well.

Sometimes you may be thinking that your chimney is leaking, but it could be that this isn’t the case at all! It could actually be your roof. Chimney.com states it like this: “Often the water enters the roof several feet away from the chimney and then collects at the point where the chimney meets the roofing material and appears to be a chimney leak.” The best solution to a roof leak is to have your roof repaired or maybe even replaced. If you’re wondering if it’s your roof and not your chimney, we can check that out as well.

Signs of Leakage

If you’re wondering if you have a leak, take a close look at your chimney. If you notice that the mortar or even the bricks look crumbly or weak, or if there are flecks and little pieces of mortar or brick on the ground around the chimney, these can all be signs of spalling, which is another sign that you have leaks. ​Spalling​ is the process of water that is in your bricks or the mortar that holds your bricks together working its way to the surface, causing pieces to break away or pop off, which leaves these materials weakened.

What Can Be Done?

One way to ensure a leak-proof chimney is waterproofing. At Chim Cheroo Chimney Service, we will coat your chimney with a water repellent substance called ChimneySaver. Using the proper waterproofing system prevents water molecules from entering the brick and mortar while allowing vapor produced by combustion to exit your masonry. We know that ChimneySaver is the best product available to allow both these things to happen, and for our customers, only the best will do!

Whether you need a new chimney or chimney repairs from water damage, springtime is a great time to have these repairs done. A great place to call to take care of any work that needs to be done, whether it’s inspection, cleaning, or repairs, is Chim Cheroo Chimney Service. We’ll give the best service you can ask for and make sure that the job is done right!

By Don Rhine on March 31st, 2020 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on Springtime Chimney Leak Repairs

We Offer A Wide Range of Chimney Services

At Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc, we specialize in all things chimney-related. This means that no matter what your chimney issue is, whether it’s a simple inspection a masonry chimney with blue skyand cleaning or a major repair job, there’s only one solution for who to call: Chim Cheroo Chimney Service. Our chimney sweeps are CSIA certified, which means that we have access to the best training and the best education in the industry. And that education is ongoing. We take advantage of the training opportunities that come available to make sure we stay on top of the industry standards and regulations. We are also members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild, and take advantage of the educational opportunities they offer as well. Because of these certifications, our customers are assured of receiving the best service in the business! Read on for an explanation of some of the services we offer.

Chimney Cleaning

One of the most common things we do, and the most requested, is chimney inspection and cleaning. Because this is such a vital service, it is recommended that you have it done every year. There are three levels of chimney inspections, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done and how responsible you have been with having your fireplace and chimney inspected and cleaned on an annual basis. A Level One inspection is just a standard inspection, where we’ll make sure that things look like they are in good condition, make sure there are no blockages, and make sure that your creosote buildup is at less than the minimum requirement. If you have made changes to your heating system, if there may have been damage from a chimney fire or serious weather system, or if you are selling your home, we’ll do a Level Two inspection, which digs a little deeper by using video equipment to see into the interior of your chimney. If you suspect that you’ve had chimney damage, neglected the upkeep of your chimney, or believe that there may be structural damage, then you’ll need a Level Three inspection, which combines the first two levels and they may also require opening up parts of the chimney to get to that damage. We are experienced at every level of chimney inspection, and have the equipment to make the job easy!

Chimney Relining

One area of particular interest during your chimney inspection will be your chimney liner. The chimney liner plays a very important role in keeping your home safe while you’re using your fireplace. There are three important jobs that a chimney liner does. First, it protects the interior of your chimney from the corrosive effects that smoke can have on it. A correctly sized liner will make your fireplace a more efficient heating source. Lastly, a chimney liner will protect the combustibles that are next to your fireplace from the heat that might radiate through the bricks when you burn a fire. But if your chimney liner has cracks or holes, it can’t do these jobs properly. If we see that your chimney liner is in bad shape, we’ll recommend either relining it or using HeatShield, a sealant that can be used to repair specific areas of your chimney.

Leaks

We’ll also look for parts of your chimney that might be leaking. When you have water leaking down your chimney, it can weaken the bricks and mortar and cause your chimney structure to be unstable. It can also cause damage to the interior of your home, weakening your chimney tiles, causing sagging and brown spots. Your walls and floorboards can mold and weaken as well. That’s why we’ll make sure to check out the status of your chimney crown and chimney cap, making sure that the crown isn’t cracked and the cap isn’t rusted or worn. If either of these things are damaged, they may be allowing precipitation to run down your chimney. Also, we’ll make sure that your flashing isn’t torn or rusted. The flashing is the metal strips that are layered at the base of the chimney, redirecting the precipitation away from this junction and keeping water out of your home.

Tuckpointing

If we notice that the mortar between the bricks in your chimney is soft and crumbly, if there are white specks on the ground around your chimney, or if the bricks are loose in areas, we’ll recommend that we do tuckpointing. This entails picking the mortar out from between the bricks using tools specially designed for the task, then replacing that mortar with fresh, making sure that it matches the existing mortar so that your chimney looks great and is sturdy enough to last for many more years.

Any Necessary Repairs

No matter what types of chimney work your chimney needs, whether that be waterproofing, repairing your chimney crown, replacing your chimney cap, or any type of chimney rebuilds or restorations, there’s really only one question to ask yourself: when are you going to make the call to set up an appointment to have your chimney inspected and cleaned? The professionals at Chim Cheroo Chimney Service can’t wait to make sure that your chimney is in tip-top shape so that your family can enjoy nights of comfort snuggled up in front of a snapping, crackling fire.

By Don Rhine on November 30th, 2019 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , | Comments Off on We Offer A Wide Range of Chimney Services