4 Signs Your Chimney Is In Need Of Repairs
With the holidays past, and winter in full swing at this point, a fireplace can lend a warmth and festive atmosphere to your entire home. Before you light up your hearth this winter, however, it might be in your best interest to ensure that your fireplace and chimney are safe to use. Many homeowners are under the impression that a simple chimney sweep is all they need to get their fireplace up and running safely, but there is a little bit more to it than that. While a certified chimney sweep should be able to perform an inspection and let you know about any issues you may have, for actual repairs, you will want the expertise of a professional masonry service. To better help you identify when your home’s chimney is in need of repair, we have put together a short list of four signs you can be on the lookout for to help identify when your chimney is in need of repair.
Check For A Chimney Cap
This one is easy, and you won’t even need a ladder for it. The chimney cap’s singular purpose is to make sure that rain stays out of your chimney flue. While it is not technically a part of the masonry of your chimney, its presence is still vital to the survival of your chimney’s interior and exterior. In many cases of a home needing chimney repair, our Massachusetts Stone Masons will show up only to find that a chimney cap isn’t present. This is such an issue because water is the #1 source of deterioration in almost all home components, mold, rot, mildew, moss, freeze thaw, etc. Water in your chimney, or in the masonry of your chimney is always bad news, and if your chimney doesn’t have a cap, you are more than likely overdue for chimney repairs. At a minimum, you are going to want to have a cap installed.
Cracked Chimney Crown
The crown on your chimney forms its second line of defense against water. The crown is the 2″-3″ concrete or mortar slab that has been poured over the very top of your chimney, and covers the bricks of your chimney and surrounds the top flue tiles. Besides covering the hollow areas of your chimney, the crown also helps to protect the porous sides of the brick, helping to keep them from absorbing too much moisture.
Check Your Chimney Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is the process of repairing mortar joints, and just like with the exterior of your home, it is something that needs to be done between every 30-50 years. The best way to check and see if the mortar on your chimney is in good condition is to take a screwdriver and scrape it across the mortar to see if it is soft or if it crumbles away. Good mortar will barely have a mark left on it after running a screwdriver over it while bad mortar will fall away and leave a gouge. Any areas that you encounter this soft mortar should be repaired as quickly as possible. If you leave this problem unchecked, the mortar will eventually fall away and the bricks will come loose.
Check For White Staining
White discoloration on a chimney is a surefire sign that you have a moisture problem. This white staining is called efflorescence, and it’s the natural salts in the brick and mortar being brought to the surface by moisture, and then left behind when it evaporates.
If you are looking for a residential masonry contractor for all of your chimney repairs in New England or the Boston area, give us a call today at 508-335-8441 or fill out our online request form.
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