Chimney Care Company's Blog
Chimney masonry and brick repair
Is the look of your chimney bringing down your home’s curb appeal and value? Over time, chimney masonry can deteriorate, causing your home to look old and in disrepair. On top of
that, dilapidated chimney masonry can put your home at risk for water damage. The unsightly cracked and crumbling masonry can allow water to seep into your home through your chimney. If your chimney’s masonry is showing signs of wear, it’s time to address your deteriorating chimney masonry with masonry and brick repair. The chimney masonry experts at the Chimney Care Co. can help! We can restore your chimney with masonry and brick repair; we deal with common repairs, as well as will full-on chimney rebuilds to restore your chimney’s look and function.
Tuckpointing
Stones and bricks can last for decades. Often, the mortar that holds the bricks and stones together breaks down long before the bricks or stones. Crumbling chimney mortar looks unsightly and can degrade the look of your home. Crumbling masonry also opens up the opportunity for water to enter into the chimney. Over time, that water can further degrade the mortar and the masonry. If crumbling chimney mortar is let go for too long, it can even compromise the strength of your chimney structure. Fortunately, there is an easy fix for crumbling chimney mortar: Tuckpointing. Tuckpointing involves removing the old, softened chimney mortar and replacing it with a fresh coat of mortar. This restores the strength of the chimney and freshens its look.
Chimney crown repair
Like chimney mortar, the chimney crown often breaks down before other masonry materials. Chimney crowns will break down especially quickly if the crown was constructed from the wrong type of material, which happens more frequently than it should. Cracks in the chimney crown allow water to enter the top of your chimney. From there, it can damage your chimney flue or even seep into the surrounding layers of your home, causing mold or rot. Rebuilding your chimney crown can help protect your chimney and your home from water damage.
Full or partial chimney rebuilds
If water is allowed to damage chimney masonry for too long, the damage can become so severe that chimney reconstruction is in order. A part or all of your chimney might need to be reconstructed if the bricks, stones, and mortar have cracked and crumbled to form an unsightly and irreparable mess, or if they have degraded to the point that the chimney structure is no longer sound and poses a danger to the home.
Don’t let your damaged chimney masonry go unaddressed; call the chimney masonry experts at the Chimney Care Co.! We can assess your chimney’s masonry to determine what type of repair is needed, and we can repair your chimney’s masonry to restore the look and function of your chimney and to save your home’s curb appeal.
What is the state of your chimney flue?
Your chimney might appear to be in good shape from the outside, but what does it look like on the inside? Your chimney flue — the interior
portion of your chimney — does the majority of the work exhausting your fireplace. It deals with extreme heat from your fireplace, moisture from outside and corrosive creosote and soot. All of those things can lead to a breakdown of your chimney flue liner. That’s especially concerning when you consider that it is your chimney flue that protects your home from the smoke, heat, and flames from your fireplace.
Understanding the state of your chimney flue
So how do you know what state your chimney flue is in? That requires an annual sweeping and inspection from a certified chimney professional. During your annual sweeping and inspection, your chimney sweep will look for signs that your chimney flue isn’t in ideal condition. If your chimney flue is cracked, crumbling or corroded, your chimney sweep will recommend a chimney relining to shore up your chimney and keep your home safe from the byproducts of your fireplace. A chimney relining also might be ordered if your chimney suffers from poor drafting caused by a chimney liner that isn’t properly sized for your fireplace or heating stove.
About chimney relining
The good news about chimney relining is that it is a relatively quick and simple process. There are two primary options for relining your chimney:
- Stainless steel chimney liner. If your existing chimney liner is failing, a stainless steel chimney liner can be inserted to your chimney. This option can be utilized for any type of chimney, but if your chimney currently has a prefabricated chimney liner, this will be the method used for relining your chimney flue.
- Cement chimney liner. If you have a masonry chimney flue liner, you have a second option for relining your chimney: a cement chimney liner. With this method, a foam plug sized to your chimney is lowered down the chimney on a winch. Next, a specialized cerfractory cement, which is formulated to stand up to the heat, smoke and flames from your fireplace, is poured down your chimney. The specially sized foam plug is then pulled slowly up your chimney flue, smoothing the cement into place. The cement fills any cracks or holes in your chimney, providing you with a safe, air-tight chimney liner.
Want to know the state of your chimney flue? Call the Chimney Care Co.
If you are unsure of the state of your chimney flue, or if you are due for your annual chimney sweeping and inspection, call the Chimney Care Co. Our certified chimney sweeps will clean and inspect the inside of your chimney flue to be sure that it is in good repair and keeping your home safe from smoke, flames, and heat. If a chimney relining is in order, the Chimney Care Co. can reline your chimney with a stainless steel chimney liner. Call to schedule your inspection now!