Chimney Repairs: Know The Chimney Before You Make The Repair Article

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Chimney Repairs: Know The Chimney Before You Make The Repair

Briefly what makes up the chimney and what kind of common repairs are needed to maintain the working order of the chimney.

Author: Alfred Ardis

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Chimney repairs can be trickier than they look because to even appraise the damage an inspection is needed. It is possible to do a visual inspection from the ground with a pair of binoculars but in order to really judge the situation at some point someone is going to have to go up on to the roof to get an idea of the real picture.

Since the chimney repairs work of a chimney can involve going up to the roof its not a job that a homeowner with no masonry experience should even think of tackling. This is not just a cosmetic home repair job so it needs to be addressed by a professional.

The chimney consist of three parts- the stack, which is visible from the outside and is usually covered with brick or stone, the flue which most fireplace users are familiar with as the way smoke vents out and the crown which is on top and seals the space between the flue and stack. The crown is inclined towards cracking due to the constant source of heat and this can in turn lead to moisture seeping in and causing unseen damage to the home and fireplace.

One solution to this issue is to have masonry replace the crown with a floating crown. A floating crown will generally last longer since it “floats” above the stack and isn’t as exposed to the constant heat.

Other problems that are frequently encountered with chimneys are missing stones, bricks or mortar due to age and disrepair. Again missing mortar or bricks is a way for moisture to get into the fireplace and do internal damage so the homeowner can either tackle the repair job themselves if they feel they have the masonry skills to do so or hire a contractor to do it.

Replacing missing mortar and bricks is generally done with a technique called “tuck pointing” and it involves replacing failed mortar joints with fresh mortar. This can be a little tricky since the mortar has to be the right consistency to work right and the working environment itself can be hard to maneuver safely.

It is highly recommended that home owners do an annual inspection of their chimney repairs to help ward off massive repairs down the line from unseen damage that ends up causing more internal damage to the home and chimney. This can often be done by a chimney sweeper who can give you some idea on the visual condition of your chimney after its annual cleaning every season.

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http://www.delawarevalleychimneymasonry.com/.

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