With winter just around the corner, you may want to start using your fireplace, but what if your chimney has an issue? If your chimney has cracks or you can see that pieces of brick have broken off, it begs the question- why are you putting off chimney repairs? Ignoring the problem certainly won’t make it go away. If you don’t act, you could end up with a malfunctioning or collapsed chimney during the heart of winter. So, what should you do, and what can happen if you ignore needed chimney repairs? Read on to find out.
Water Damage to Your ChimneyPerhaps the most destructive thing to a chimney is water damage. If you see cracks on your chimney on the sides or crown, it needs repairs right away. If your chimney is left in its current state, water will work its way into the cracks, and as the temperature drops below freezing, the water will expand and widen gaps and compromise the structural integrity. Water can also reach the inside of your fireplace through cracks and cause things to rust, such as the firebox or the fireplace doors. A leaky chimney can also allow water to migrate to other parts of the house, causing things to rot in the attic and mold in the walls.
If something has caused the ground to shift under your chimney and you can see one or more fissures, its collapse is imminent. It needs to be repaired right away to keep it from collapsing and possibly hurting one of your family members or pets. Even if the chimney doesn’t collapse, it will be full of leaks.
A professional and qualified chimney sweep service is the only way to deal with a leaky chimney. They will do a thorough inspection and carry out the proper repairs. Here are some of the repair types.
If the cracks in your chimney are in the mortar that holds the brick in place, a repair process known as tuckpointing will be undertaken. Tuckpointing removes old, damaged mortar and replaces it with fresh mortar that will resist cracks.
If bricks are cracked, broken, or missing, they must be replaced. Replacing damaged bricks will involve the chimney sweep using specialized tools to carefully remove them and replace them with new bricks and new mortar. The chimney sweeps will be sure to replace the damaged bricks with new ones that match in color and style.
In brick replacement and tuckpointing, the chimney sweep may suggest that after the mortar has cured, the chimney should be sprayed with a protective coating that will extend its life for years to come.
A chimney cap is a vital tool for protecting a chimney. It can act as an umbrella, keeping water and debris from entering the flue. If your chimney’s cap becomes dislodged from high winds or rusts through, the chimney sweeps will replace it with a new cap.
Sometimes, the crown of a chimney gets struck by a falling limb or another object and becomes damaged, and in some cases, it’s just the age of the chimney itself. The chimney crown surrounds and protects the flue by diverting water away from it, but when it’s compromised, the whole chimney can be at risk. The chimney sweeps will fill the cracks and prevent further damage to the chimney.
Putting off repairs to your fireplace is only delaying the inevitable and will end up costing more money down the road. Any suspected damages or issues with your chimney should be inspected and addressed as soon as possible top avoid further damage.
Chimney County Solutions can inspect and repair your damaged chimney before the full force of winter occurs. Our certified and experienced chimney sweeps will perform all needed repairs on your chimney.
Don’t put off repairing your chimney. Call us today- in Atlanta at 770-255-1300; in Chattanooga, call 423-551-9912 or complete our easy contact form. One of our chimney experts will gladly discuss setting up a time to repair your damaged chimney.
