Consequences Of A Leaky Chimney

Don’t be fooled by a small drip of water. Water has been known to be quite destructive. The intrusion of water has been known to have caused expensive property damage. When water enters your home, whether through the roof, windows, or chimney, it has a lasting effect. It is hard to identify the source as water travels. You may see a drip, but it is unknown where it came from. Only a professional chimney inspection can search out the leak. They will identify exactly where it is coming from and tackle the issue head-on.

What Can Happen If A Leak Is Not Addressed?

• Mold and mildew. Once water gets into your house through the chimney or roof, mold and mildew will start to grow.This can become a health hazard, especially for those who are young, older, or have allergy issues.

• Structural Integrity. Bricks and mortar are porous. If water is allowed to seep into the bricks of your chimney, they become subject to the freeze-thaw effect. This is when the temperatures get so low that water begins to freeze. Freezing water expands, opening porous bricks, causing cracks. Then the thaw, leaving cracks open for water to enter. The repeated effect can create quite a large crack, which causes concern for the integrity of the chimney.

• Roof and Attic Damage. Water entering from the chimney can affect the roof and attic with rotting wood.

• Interior Walls and Ceiling. Water that finds its way into your home can bring damage to the walls and ceiling. Once water finds a way in, it will travel.

What To Look For? 

Some of the signs that you can look for are:

• The fireplace components or accessories become rusty.
• Bricks that have been exposed to water turn white. This is efflorescence, the chalky deposit that comes out of the bricks and dries on the outside.
• Water on the inside of the firebox.

Preventative Measures: Chimney professionals suggest an annual chimney inspection to tackle any issues as they arise. Yearly checking the chimney cap, crown, and flashing is an important part of the inspection. All three play an intricate part in protecting your chimney, roof, and home from water damage.

They may also suggest waterproofing if they find that the damage is under control and there are no large, identified cracks. With this process, we would clean and dry the brick and apply a water repellent to the bricks and masonry. Using waterproofing will deter water from penetrating the masonry.

These are all signs that you are having an issue with water. Now is a great time to call Chimney Specialists Inc. Leaving these concerns will end up costing you much more than if you had someone come out and take a look. There may be an easy fix that can be done very economically.

CHIMNEY SPECIALISTS INC. prides itself on offering customers and contractors in the tri-state area of northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, and southwest Wisconsin complete installation service, nationally certified technical experts, a huge selection of quality stoves and fireplaces, and, of course, competitive pricing.