Seasonal Update

With the cold weather comes warm clothes, heating bills, and hot cocoa. But, it also brings potentially chimney damages. Now, down here in the south, we may not get blizzards and 10 feet of snow, but it can get cold. And this fall and winter season, it’s important to look out for signs of chimney damage. Believe it or not, freezing temperatures can actually cause damage to chimneys. See, bricks are like sponges, they’re porous and absorb water. When this water freezes, it expands. This can cause what is known as spalling. Spalling is when the faces and chunks of bricks actually break off. This can lead to the lesser structural integrity of the chimney, which is never good. So, be sure to watch out for any spalling on your masonry chimney. And for any chimney or fireplace repair, Sootmaster is here to help!

Cracked Crown on Your Chimney?

On a chimney, the crown is located across the top of the chimney. It is a solid cover that sits on the highest points of your chimney. Designed to be strong and perform well over a long period of time. Even though, over-time all structures start to fall. There are numerous reasons for cracks to form in the crown. Chimneys are continually exposed to the elements and become damaged from snow, rain, sunlight, and freeze-thaw stages. It is significantly important to repair any cracks or splits in a smokestack before any harm occurs.

Indications of a Damages Chimney Crown

1. Cracking: Visible cracks in the concrete forming the crown can be filled or sealed, if they are still relatively small. Larger cracks might need more extensive repair.
2. Falling flue tiles: notice small lumps of tiles gathering at the base of your fireplace it is an indication that the pipe coating your stack is harmed. If this issue is not tended to it can possibly prompt a house fire.
3. Rust: Rust on the damper or in the firebox implies water is getting in there some way or another, potentially through a harmed smokestack crown. Rust must be completely cleaned, and the difficulty that caused it must be immediately fixed.
4. Moisture Damage: wallpaper or walls within your home close to the fireplace are giving indications of dampness harm it could identify with water getting in through a defective crown.
5. Mortar joint harm: Water that gets into a smokestack can harm mortar joints and cause them to begin disintegrating. On the off chance that you see unordinary particles at the base of the stack or in the firebox

It is imperative to keep up the structural integrity of your chimney as it can turn into a fire danger whenever ignored. Depending upon the degree of the harm to your chimney crown, the kind of repairs needed will fluctuate. The sooner you get issues the less intrusive work it will need to be fixed. In the event that the crown is in more noteworthy decay it might be an ideal opportunity to totally supplant and rebuild the crown.

These and other problems can be prevented by scheduling an annual inspection and cleaning with a professional chimney sweep. However, you do not want to hire just anyone to take care of the task. Mixing any old mortar and slapping it on top is going to leave you with additional issues in no time. Instead, you need a specially formulated mixture made of weather resistant materials to do the job. A cement chimney crown is likely your best option.