Does your chimney need masonry repairs? We can help!

Spring is the time of year when we begin to notice and address home repairs. Especially after the harsh conditions of winter, weaknesses in our home’s structures can become evident.

That includes chimneys. While masonry fireplaces and chimneys are incredibly durable, they also put up with a lot of abuse during winter months. Internally, they must cope with the extreme heat of your winter fires. Externally, they have to endure rain, ice, snow, sleet and freezing temperatures. If you start to notice damage to your chimney’s masonry this spring, The Chimney Care Co. can help repair your chimney in time for next season’s fires.

Common masonry repairs

The need for most chimney masonry repairs is obvious. There are telltale signs of damage, so you’ll know when your masonry fireplace or chimney is in need of professional attention. Some of the most common masonry repairs include:

•  Crumbling mortar. Over time, your chimney’s mortar absorbs moisture, which can lead it to degrade and crumble away, leaving cracks in your chimney’s structure that can expose it to moisture damage and weaken the structure. Crumbling mortar can be easily fixed with tuckpointing, which involves removing the damaged mortar and replacing it with new mortar.
•  Spalling bricks. Another common chimney problem caused by moisture is spalling, or crumbling bricks. These bricks can be replaced to prevent your chimney from losing its structural integrity.
• Cracked or crumbling chimney crown. Many chimney crowns, the masonry structure that surrounds the top of chimney, were improperly constructed from the wrong materials, causing them to crack and crumble quickly. Even well-built chimney crowns can fail over time and require repair or rebuilding.
• Cracked masonry. Masonry can crack for a variety of reasons. Flue tiles and firebox masonry can crack if they are “shocked” by the extreme heat of your fire or a chimney fire. We can repair cracked tiles or bricks, or rebuild entire fireboxes, if needed.
•  Structural weaknesses. Water damage, settling foundations and seismic events can cause chimney structures to become weak. Those weaknesses can be revealed in a leaning chimney or in large chimney cracks. If your chimney structure is failing, The Chimney Care Co. can rebuild it quickly and effectively.

Protecting your chimney

By and large, the majority of chimney masonry damage is caused by water. Masonry materials are porous and can draw water in over time. When temperatures drop, water inside the masonry freezes and expands, causing some of the cracking, crumbling and structural weaknesses we’ve described. As such, it’s important to take measures to ensure your chimney is as protected as possible from water. That means making sure you have a secure chimney cap and a chimney crown that is in good repair. We can apply ChimneySaver’s waterproofing product to your chimney, which keeps moisture out while still allowing your chimney’s masonry to breathe as it needs to.

Most importantly, if you’ve noticed any of the common masonry problems we’ve described above, or if you have concerns about your chimney’s masonry, call The Chimney Care Co. today. We can provide you with a host of masonry repairs to keep your chimney safe, structurally sound and looking good.