Many factors go into the construction of a chimney. Top-level items include the ventilation system, the material used, clearances, and other factors that adhere to inspection standards. Annual inspections may lead to necessary chimney repairs to ensure your setup is firesafe.
4 Types of Chimney Damage to Look Out For
Common reasons for chimney repair include broken caps, creosote buildup, poor construction, flue cracking, and blockage. Watch out for these four signs you may need a chimney repair technician.
- Brick faces at the top of the chimney flaking off from freezing and thawing in cold weather, also known as “spalling”
- Visible soot buildup
- Water seeping through the flue
- Smoke coming in to your home instead of heading up the chimney
It is important to get your chimney inspected annually because there are other types of unseen risk factors, such as animal nests, that can create blockage or damage. Champion Chimneys recommends using a company that is properly trained and certified to repair your chimney.
Chimney Cap Repairs
Chimney crowns, or caps, protect the bricks underneath them. The purpose of a crown is to shed water off of the chimney. If the top of your chimney is falling apart or spalling, you should address the cracks as soon as possible. This can help you avoid a total chimney rebuild..
Chimney caps can rapidly deteriorate from brick spalling. A properly constructed chimney crown should be waterproofed with concrete, reinforcement fiber or mesh, and an expansion joint. Generally, a chimney cap repair is a better and more affordable option than waiting until you need a new chimney.
Waterproofing Your Chimney
To waterproof your chimney cap, or crown, our chimney technicians follow a few key steps. First, they wire-brush the top surface of the chimney and wipe off loose debris. Next, they remove old silicone to expose gaps or cracks that need to be filled in. Then, the technicians apply protection around the bottom of the cap and on top of the flue tile. Finally, our chimney experts will employ a crown coat material to fill in the cracks.
Our expert chimney technicians can repair and maintain your chimney cap. Give us a call for a free estimate.