Chimneys sure are high, but they are not necessarily dry. As one of Upstate South Carolina’s premier chimney service companies, those of us at Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps see water as your chimney’s biggest adversary.
You might be able to leave a leaky faucet alone for a while, but a leaky chimney is another story. Small chimney leaks can very quickly lead to big chimney leaks, and big, expensive problems.
Unfortunately, it’s not at all difficult for water to find its way into a chimney that has not been adequately protected from the elements.
While we can certainly find resolutions for your leaking chimney, your best bet will always be to prevent leaks from the beginning. Water intrusion left unmanaged, can cause significant damage to the chimney structure as well as areas adjacent to your chimney. This damage is often expensive to repair.
Here are just a few ways that water can harm your chimney:
- Water weakens your chimney’s masonry. There are a number of ways that your chimney brick and mortar may react to rainwater.
– Crumbling, cracking, or bricks falling apart altogether.
– Spalling (when the face of the bricks appears to have popped off).
– Holes in header joints
The more your masonry breaks down in this way the more easily water will be able
to get into your chimney and, possibly, into your home.Water creates cracks and/or voids inside and out. - Water creates cracks and/or voids inside and out. Water can cause both on the inside and the outside of your chimney.
– The relentless freeze/thaw cycle can also cause the bond to break between the brick and the mortar.
– Water washing over the exterior surface of the brick can erode out thin mortar joints.
– Water washing over the inside of your chimney can cause gaps to develop between the flue tiles. This would allow toxic gases attack the brick and mortar of your chimney from the inside out. In some cases it could cause the gases to leak through into your living space instead of venting safely outside.
– In some cases the damage may permit water to get inside your home, where it can stain the walls, ceilings, and floors around the chimney. - Water can cause mold, mildew, and lichen to grow on the exterior of the chimney.
If you find yourself dealing with water issues with your chimney, call Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps|Bless Your Hearth at (864) 682-5422 or fill out our online form to make an appointment with us today. We can help!
We are proud members of the South Carolina Chimney Sweep Guild, the North Carolina Chimney Sweep Association, and the National Chimney Sweep Guild. We are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Fireplace Institute.