Chimney Care Company's Blog
Masonry Repair To Your Chimney
Summer will soon be drawing to a close. Soon, homeowners will begin to prepare their fireplaces and chimneys for the fall. Have you noticed damage to your chimney? If your chimney sweep notices damage during your annual cleaning and inspection, you could be in store for some masonry chimney repair. Know that masonry does break down over time, even with the best care. Additionally, there are some common masonry repairs that are performed time and time again.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing, or repointing, is perhaps one of the most common masonry chimney repairs. The good news is that it’s an incredibly gratifying repair to have performed on your chimney. Not only does it restore the structural integrity of your chimney, but it also restores the overall appearance of your chimney. Tuckpointing involves removing damaged, crumbling mortar from in between the masonry joints of your chimney and repairing it with fresh mortar to strengthen the chimney structure.
Chimney Crown Repair
A chimney crown, the masonry top to your chimney, takes a lot of abuse. As the chimney crown protects the rest of the chimney from water, the crown itself comes into contact with precipitation. This can damage the crown’s masonry! On top of that, many chimney crowns were not properly constructed to start, allowing chimney leaks. They can also cause the chimney crown to break down prematurely. If your chimney crown is cracked, crumbly, or improperly constructed, you will be in need of a chimney crown repair.
Relining
Inside your chimney, the masonry flue tiles can crack or crumble. This can be caused from the extreme heat of your fireplace or from contact with moisture. Eventually, your chimney will need to be relined, either with a stainless steel chimney liner or with a specialized poured cement.
Firebox Reconstruction
Just like the tiles in your chimney liner, the bricks that line your firebox can crack or crumble from exposure to heat and moisture. If the cracks in your firebricks grow too wide, your firebox will need to be reconstructed so that it continues to protect your home from the fires built within.
Chimney Rebuild
Has your chimney has been neglected too long? If crumbling mortar and bricks weren’t replaced or cracks were left unattended, your chimney structure can begin to fail! A failing chimney structure can damage your overall home structure or leave your home open to the risk of a chimney fire. If your chimney structure has failed, you might require a complete or partial chimney rebuild.
If your chimney requires any of these repairs, or if your chimney is due for its annual sweeping and inspection, call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule your chimney today! We can spot and perform any needed masonry chimney repairs and have your chimney ready to operate safely this fall.
Elements of a proper chimney crown
The chimney crown provides vital protection to the chimney structure. When properly constructed, the chimney crown channels water away from the chimney flue and prevents water from flowing down the outer walls of the chimney. Too often, chimney crowns have been improperly constructed from the wrong materials, leaving your chimney and fireplace at risk for water damage. Knowing the elements of a proper chimney crown can help you to ensure that your chimney and your home are protected.
Cement construction
Often, when chimneys are being constructed, builders will cut corners by using the same mortar that goes between the bricks to construct the chimney crown. This mortar is too weak to stand up to the elements, and it will crack and crumble quickly, leaving your chimney susceptible to water intrusion. Chimney crowns should be constructed of strong cement, which will hold up to wind, water and freezing temperatures to protect your chimney year after year.
Slope
The purpose of a chimney crown is to funnel water away from your chimney flue to protect the inside of your chimney and fireplace from water intrusion. To help direct water down and away from your chimney, the chimney crown should be sloped.
Overhang
Your chimney’s porous masonry can absorb water. Over time, that water can deteriorate the chimney materials and, eventually, the chimney structure. A simple overhang of the chimney crown can help to protect the exterior chimney walls from water. The underside of the overhang should have a groove around the parameter to prevent water from following the surface of the overhang and flowing onto the chimney walls.
Gap against the chimney flue
If your chimney flue contains a tile flue liner, the flue liner needs to be isolated from the chimney crown. Tile liners become extremely hot when the chimney is in use, and they can expand. The expanded liners put pressure on the chimney crown, which can cause cracks. The chimney crown should be constructed so that it does not touch the chimney liner, and the chimney liner should be surrounded with thin foam and then caulked with a specialized masonry caulking.
Flashing
Wherever there are seems in your home, whether around windows or doors, in your roofline or around your chimney, there needs to be flashing to seal the gaps and keep water out. Your chimney crown should be completed with a layer of flashing where the crown meets the top of the masonry chimney. The flashing will ensure that water cannot seep into the chimney between the chimney structure and the chimney crown.
If your chimney crown is letting water into your chimney and your home because it was improperly constructed or because it has deteriorating over time, call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule a consultation today! We can reconstruct your chimney crown the right way to ensure that your chimney and your home are protected from water damage.