Our Company Blog

Waterproofing 101

Rain is such an important part of the natural cycle of the environment. It brings life to plants, breaks a heat cycle, and fills the lakes and rivers. Doesn’t it feel and smell wonderful after a gentle summer rain has fallen, cleaning off the sidewalks and freshening up the air we breathe? It’s hard to imagine that something as fresh, clear, and gentle as rain can have a negative side as well, but when it comes to your chimney, precipitation can definitely have a deteriorating effect.

Precipitation and its Negative Power

When you think of precipitation, you probably think of softly falling rain or gently falling snow, and that’s oftentimes the case. However, there are, times when the rain comes down in torrents or sleet or hail hit fast and hard. It’s during the big storms that you’d assume damage to your chimney would occur, but the gently falling precipitation can also have an adverse effect on your chimney. This is due to the freeze-thaw cycle. When it rains, the moisture gets into your bricks and mortar and settles into the pores. When the cold Ohio winters hit, that moisture freezes and expands, causing the pores to get bigger. As more moisture seeps in, the process is repeated, and before you know it, you have structural damage.

Negative Effects on your Chimney

When your chimney starts to leak, the worst possible effect is structural damage. If this occurs, you may be looking at major repair jobs or even rebuilding parts of your chimney. This is one reason to give Chim Cheroo Chimney Service a call soon to have your annual inspection and cleaning. We’ll be able to see any damage and recommend solutions so bigger damage doesn’t occur. But even if it’s caught early, other damage can occur. You might experience weakened interior walls and ceiling, moldy wallboards or wall and ceiling coverings, rusty chimney parts such as the damper system or firebox assembly, or even damage to the flue liner. All of these things can be very damaging, but what’s a homeowner to do? You can’t stop the rain from falling, and you can’t build a giant bubble over your chimney. There is, however, something that you can do, and that’s waterproof your chimney.

Let us Waterproof your Chimney

When it comes to waterproofing a chimney, certain precautions need to take place. If you were to seal your chimney, the water that remained in the bricks and mortar wouldn’t be allowed to escape outside, and so would trickle down the interior of your chimney instead. You can imagine the damage this could cause! At Chim Cheroo Chimney Service, we use ChimneySaver water repellent to waterproof your chimney. This product is amazing because it brings a seal that keeps water from invading the pores of your brick and mortar while allowing the moisture that’s already there to evaporate out. For more information on the waterproofing process, give us a call at 800-284-8770.

Which Level of Chimney Inspection is Right for You?

When you drive down a gravel road, you’ll want to run your car through the carwash. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a complete wax job with an undercarriage cleaning. Sometimes your hair needs a good trimming, but that doesn’t mean you need a complete color and permanent wave. Sometimes just the basics are all you’re looking for. The same is true of chimney inspections. If you know that your chimney has been well-maintained and inspected on at least a yearly basis, you just need the basics. But there are some times that you need more than this, some conditions that need more immediate attention. That’s why there are three levels of inspection available for your chimney needs.

Level One

As stated above, there are times when all that’s needed is a basic inspection and cleaning. These inspections are necessary if your chimney was cleaned and inspected within the last year. They are also optimal if the level of creosote is normal and if you’ve had no major events within the last year. Major events include a chimney fire or other damage to your chimney. This is the least expensive option, and will just include an inspection of those parts of your chimney that are easily accessible on the outside of your chimney and accessible on the inside.

Level Two

If you decide that you are going to make some changes to your heating system, you’ll want to have a Level 2 inspection. This includes installing a different type of heating appliance or making a change in the flue lining. A Level 2 inspection is also required if you plan on changing ownership of the building.

A Level 2 inspection will be more in-depth than a Level 1. In a Level 2 inspection, we will do a visual inspection  of parts of your chimney that aren’t readily accessible; we’ll do this using special video equipment. We’ll be able to see any damage to the interior of your chimney that would be difficult to see without this equipment. We won’t need to dig into the actual structure of your chimney by taking off any panels at this stage, however. We will, however, be able to get into basements or crawlspaces or other spaces that are harder to get to.

Level Three

If you have had some sort of structural damage, you will want a Level 3 inspection. At this level, we’ll do all the things that you get in Level 1 and Level 2 inspections. In addition, we also tear down the structure for further examination and repairs.

Call Chim Cheroo today!

No matter which level of chimney inspection you may be looking for, the decision of which chimney sweep company to call doesn’t take much thought…call the best at Chim Cheroo Chimney Service! You’ll get expert advice and quality service when you call us in to take care of your inspection and cleaning needs!