Chimney Care Company's Blog

What is Spalling?

There are so many unusual terms associated with chimney care and chimney repair and if you’re not in the business, it can be really confusing. What’s the difference between a chimney crown and a chimney cap? What is flashing and why is it so important? Why does your chimney need to be lined? What is efflorescence? Have you ever heard the term spalling? Well, it is important to know what is going on with your chimney and fireplace system, but when it comes right down to it, you can hire an actual chimney company to come in and take care of all these things for you. In fact, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that you have an inspection and sweeping on an annual basis. If you live in or around Cincinnati and you’re looking for a company that is best equipped to take care of all your chimney needs, give Chimney Care Co. a call today.

Spalling

If you take a look at your chimney and notice that there’s a lot of little white specks laying around on the ground, you probably have a condition called spalling. This means that there is a problem with your bricks. Bricks are porous, and if water gets under the surface, it can cause the surface to pop, flake, or peel off. This causes a weakening of the brick, and can cause an overall instability in the structure of the chimney. Obviously, this is a condition that you want to avoid. It can also cause bricks to crack and chip. Because the chimney’s job is to keep dangerous chemicals in smoke out of the house, these cracks and chips can cause major damage or even health issues for your family members and pets.

What To Do

If we discover spalling when we come in for your inspection, we’ll probably recommend that we do some brick replacement. This involves removing the damaged bricks, clearing out the opening to get out the dirt and dust, and then reapplying new, fresh mortar to the new brick and replacing it in the opening. Although this process seems uncomplicated, it is actually best left to the qualified professionals at Chimney Care Co. We have the experience and the expertise to do the job right, and we can make sure that the new mortar matches the existing mortar and that your chimney looks as good as new. Your chimney will be strong and secure and able to perform its function in no time.

Hire CSIA Certified Pros

It’s important to know that the professionals that you are hiring are properly certified and trained. The top certification in the industry is from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), and this is one of the certifications we have. We are also members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild, National Fire Protection Association, and the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association. All of these associations offer top-notch education and training opportunities, so you know we can do any repair your chimney needs. Give us a call soon and we’ll have your chimney in great working order before autumn hits!

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!

Schedule your mess-free sweeping with us today!

If you have a fireplace or chimney, you likely know the importance of having your chimney swept and inspected at least once per year. This lowers your home’s risk of a dangerous fire and other risks. Some homeowners dread the mess of a chimney sweeping. Fireplaces are dirty places, filled with soot and ash, but a chimney sweeping shouldn’t be messy! At Chimney Care Co., we pride ourselves in providing mess-free chimney sweepings. When our team is finished cleaning your fireplace, your will find your home even cleaner than before!

Chimney Care Co – chimney sweeping

When our team arrives in your home, we protect your flooring and furnishings with drop cloths and tarps. Our first concerns upon entering a home is to not cause any mess or damage to the flooring or furniture. We do this by protecting your furniture and flooring with drop cloths and tarps so that any stray soot or dust doesn’t land on any of your furniture or floor. If any furniture is at risk for being dirtied or damaged by our work, we will move it safely out of the way.

We use high-powered brushes

Once your flooring and furniture are protected from stray mess from our chimney sweeping, it’s time to get to work. To effectively and efficiently remove the creosote and soot from your chimney walls without create an excess of dust, we use high-powered rotating brushes that quickly loosen the buildup on the inside of your chimney walls.

We clear away mess with commercial vacuums

So where does the dust and mess from your chimney sweeping go? At the Chimney Care Co., we use high-powered, commercial-grade vacuums to clear away the debris caused by the chimney sweeping. These vacuums effectively suck any creosote, dirt, and debris loosened by the high-powered chimney brushes, without allowing any dust to invade your home. With the mess trapped inside the vacuums, we take care of and dispose of the dirt, debris, and creosote, once we are finished with the sweeping.

We clean up remaining mess before we leave

Once we’re done with the sweeping and inspection, we collect our drop cloths and tarps and replace any furniture that we were moved. If any soot or dust found its way into your home, we’ll clean it all up. Our goal is to leave your house looking just as clean as when we found it.
 
A professional chimney sweeping is crucial to keep your home and family safe from the dangers of a chimney fire — Don’t let the fear of a mess keep you from getting one. Call Chimney Care Co. to schedule your mess-free chimney sweeping today!

We offer chimney and fireplace installation, maintenance and repairs

Summer is the perfect time for home-improvement projects, and this includes projects for your fireplaces and chimneys too! Whether you’re restoring or enhancing your home with a new fireplace or heating stove, or you are in need of routine maintenance or repairs for your fireplace or chimney, the professionals at Chimney Care Co. can help. We offer chimney and fireplace installation, maintenance and repairs!

Fireplace Installation

Is your fireplace outdated, unsightly, inefficient or the wrong fuel type for your lifestyle? Are you looking to enhance your home with the addition of a new fireplace or heating stove? Our professionals can help you choose the right fireplace, fireplace insert or heating stove for your home. Our certified chimney technicians can install the fireplace, insert or heating stove for you.

Fireplace maintenance

When was the last time your fireplace and chimney was serviced by a certified chimney technician? All heating appliances should be cleaned and inspected at least once a year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Whether the purpose of your fireplace is to heat your home, or you enjoy the ambiance of your gas fireplace, wood-burning fireplace, pellet stove or any other type of heating stove. Our professionals can provide you with comprehensive maintenance your hearth appliance needs. Our certified technicians will come in and clean your entire hearth system. They will also inspect it to ensure that it’s safe and ready to use when temperatures drop.

Fireplace and chimney repair

Your fireplaces and chimneys will inevitably require repairs at some point. Whether it’s your heating stove or your fireplace insert needing a new part, the bricks are mortar joints of your chimney needing some masonry repair work. You must fix these problems before they worsen to cause harm to your family and home.

When your fireplace or chimney is in disrepair, it can cause lots of problems. Some problems are the following: burning excessive fuel, suffering leaks to the structure of your chimney and your home, or preventing heat and smoke from escaping out of your fireplace and home. No matter what kind of repair you need, the professionals at Chimney Care Co. can restore the integrity and safety of your hearth system.

Call us right now

If you are looking to upgrade your existing hearth appliance, install a new fireplace or heating stove, long overdue for your annual maintenance, or if your chimney or fireplace require repairs, call the our certified technicians to schedule your appointment today!