Chimney Care Company's Blog
Water damaged chimney? We repair them!
The Chimney Safety Institute of America has deemed water a chimney’s No. 1 enemy. That’s because nothing can damage a chimney like water. When water makes its way into your chimney, it can damage every chimney component, from the masonry chimney structure, flue liner and firebox to the metal damper, fire grate and fireplace doors. Protecting your chimney from water damage means knowing how water can damage a chimney and spotting and repairing water damage as quickly as possible.
How Water Damages A Chimney
Masonry is porous. When your masonry chimney is hit with rain, sleet or snow, it absorbs the moisture. When temperatures drop, the water within the masonry freezes and expands, causing the mortar, bricks and cement to crack and crumble.
Some common victims of masonry chimney damage include:
- Chimney crowns.
Cracked chimney crowns are incredible common, especially if the chimney crown wasn’t constructed from the right materials to begin with. - Mortar.
One of the most common signs of chimney water damage is crumbling mortar. Mortar crumbling from in between chimney joints is unsightly, and it can weaken your chimney structure. - Chimney bricks.
Moisture making its way into your chimney bricks can cause the faces of the bricks to fall or crumble away. - Flue tiles and fire box bricks.
When water manages to make its way into your chimney’s interior, it can cause cracking and spalling of the tile chimney flue liners and the bricks that line your firebox.
Water that invades your chimney’s interior also can cause problems with the metal components of the chimney. It can cause chimney dampers and fireplace doors to rust and stick in place, and it can cause fire grates to rust away.
What To Do About Chimney Water Damage
If you’ve noticed signs of water damage in your chimney, the Chimney Care Co. can help! We repair chimney water damage! If you see signs of a chimney leak or signs of water damage, it’s crucial to call in the professionals immediately! When chimney water damage is ignored, the problem can grow and intensify. Your overall chimney structure can become weak and unsafe, and water leaking in through the chimney can spread to the abutting home structure, causing wood rot and mold.
The Chimney Care Co. also can help you stop chimney damage before it starts.
We can protect your chimney from water damage in several ways, including:
- Installing a chimney cap.
Chimney caps are the best defense against water damage. Chimney caps ensure that water doesn’t flow down the interior of your chimney. - Making sure your chimney crown is properly constructed.
Chimney crowns are meant to direct water away from your chimney flue and keep water from running down the sides of your chimney, but they are often improperly constructed and fail to perform their functions. An improperly constructed chimney crown should be rebuilt to protect your chimney from water damage. - Waterproofing.
One of the best ways to protect your chimney from water damage is with a waterproofing treatment. Chimney waterproofing blocks moisture from entering your chimney’s masonry while still allowing your chimney to breath.
If you see signs of water damage on your chimney or if you’d like to protect your chimney from water damage, call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule an appointment today!
Protect Your Chimney With Waterproofing
So often, we focus our chimney maintenance efforts on sweeping and keeping our chimneys clear of creosote and debris to ward of the dangers of a chimney fire. While chimney sweeping is undoubtedly important, your chimney’s No. 1 enemy, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), is water. Fortunately, you can keep your chimney — and your home — safe from water damage with a waterproofing treatment from ChimneySaver.
How water can damage your chimney.
The masonry materials many chimneys are constructed of are highly porous. Because your chimney rises high above your roof-line, it sees little protection from driving rain and melting snow. All of that water that comes into contact with your chimney is drawn into the chimney’s bricks and mortar. That can lead to several problems. The chimney itself can become damaged when temperatures drop and the water inside the chimney freezes and expands. The expanding water causes bricks and mortar to crack and crumble away. Over time, that damage can allow more water to penetrate the chimney, and it can weaken the entire chimney structure.
Additionally, moisture that enters through the chimney can damage your entire chimney and fireplace system. The damper can warp and rust, as can any metal components of the fireplace, including fireplace doors, fireboxes and fireplace grates. Moisture inside the chimney can cause flue tiles to crack or spall, and moisture into the chimney can cause a musty, smoky odor to fill your home. If chimney water damage is left unchecked, the leak can gain access to the rest of your home’s structure, causing mold to grow and wooden supports to rot away.
Protecting your chimney with ChimneySaver.
ChimneySaver has been protecting chimneys from water damage for more than 20 years. The solution is applied to the outside of your chimney, and once it is in place, it prevents more than 99 percent of moisture from entering your chimney’s masonry. At the same time, ChimneySaver still allows your chimney to “breathe.” That means vapors put off by your fireplace, which often includes water, can still exit through the chimney walls. Unlike ChimneySaver, other chimney waterproofing treatments can trap moisture, which can lead to crumbling, spalling masonry.
ChimneySaver’s water-based formula is environmentally friendly. It won’t leave a glossy finish on your chimney, and in addition to protecting your chimney from freeze-thaw damage, ChimneySaver can protect your chimney from mold and mildew growth and efflorescent stains. ChimneySaver’s waterproofing solution also comes with a 10-year warranty.
Call the Chimney Care Co. to protect your chimney from water damage!
If you want to keep your masonry chimney safe from water damage, call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule an appointment today! We can apply ChimneySaver’s waterproofing solution to protect your chimney from freeze-thaw damage, unsightly stains and mold, and to save you from have to repair costly water damage down the road.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
How can my chimney improve air quality?
One of the things fire needs is air, or to be more specific, oxygen. That’s one of the three elements needed for combustion (fancy way to say “fire”). The other two elements needed are fuel and heat. Add them all up and boom! You’ve got a fire. The problem is, without the perfect combination of these three elements, you’re going to end up with some pollution. Some of it will stick to the inside of your chimney (that’s called creosote), and some of it will be fumes that float into your home (called spillage, or wood smoke pollution) and can cause all kinds of problems. But don’t worry—there are a few simple measures you can take to stay safe while operating your fireplace.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
It’s a great song, but smoke doesn’t just get in your eyes. Wood smoke pollution releases pollutants and toxic fumes into the air that are harmful to your health in a number of ways:
- Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that can cause cancer
- Fine particle pollution (ash) that damages lung tissue and creates respiratory problems
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides
What Goes Up…
Ideally, smoke goes up the chimney, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. There are a few things that can complicate the situation.
- Incomplete combustion of fuels
- Drafts
- Improper exhaust
Fight Smoke with Fire
Three things you can do to reduce smoke:
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually
- Burn dry, seasoned wood
- Make sure your house is well ventilated before starting a fire
Having your chimney maintained is your first line of defense. We can point out any problems with exhaust, and we get rid of creosote, which can build up and cause blockage. Wood that is green or has moisture can’t get hot enough, which means that fire has to work just to stay alive, which creates incomplete combustion. Making sure your home is well ventilated gives your fire the air supply it needs, so it doesn’t have to suck air down through the chimney.
Moldy Situations
We can’t end without saying something about mold. Both air ducts and chimneys can be habitats for mold to grow and reproduce. Mold is often an unseen enemy of air quality in the home.
Health risks associated with mold:
- sinus and respiratory problems
- coughing
- headaches
- eye and throat irritation
The best ways to combat mold are by having your chimney waterproofed and getting your air ducts cleaned. We’ve got a lot of happy customers that we’ve helped with all kinds of chimney issues, including improving the air quality of their homes so they can rest assured that their families are safe while that fireplace is running. Give us a call today, to see if we can help improve the air quality in your home.