Chimney Repair

Chimney Repair Signs

When it comes to your chimney, it's hard to tell if everything is working properly if you're unsure what you should be looking for.  Let us help!  If you're questioning your safety when it comes to your chimney or fireplace, there are some visible signs that repair may be needed.  Take a look below and see if any of these signs look familiar with your chimney and if you need chimney repair.

Damaged Mortar Joints
Look for signs of missing (or failing) mortar joints between the bricks in your chimney, you may need need a rooftop vantage for this.  Try taking a small knife and probing the bricks to see if they're loose or crumbling.  If the bricks can fall out easily, that means that your chimney can be exposed to moisture and when water gets into small cracks in the masonry, they can turn into large cracks, particularly as a result of freezing and thawing.  Conclusively, if the problem isn’t addressed, the chimney could collapse.

Rusted Damper or Firebox
If you see rust in your firebox or on your damper, there's a chance that there's moisture already in your chimney and that means that something isn't operating the way it should be.  Take a closer look, if the damper is difficult to operate or isn't sealed properly then you've got rust which means there's moisture coming in through the chimney.  Moisture in your chimney will cause rusting which then leads to numerous issues like cracking of the flue tiles.  Deteriorating or cracking flue lines are extremely dangerous, it could allow too much heat into culnerable areas that could result in a house fire.

Spalling Bricks
Spalling bricks are fairly simple to spot on your chimney, basically bits of masonry will fall from your chimney.  This occurs when water enters brick, natural stone, or concrete and forces the surface of the masonry to pop out, peel off, or flake off.  The ultimate outcome of failing to repair spalling masonry is continued crumbling and eventual destruction of the structure.

Shaling Flue Tiles
If you see thin slices of chimney tile pilling up at the bottom of the chimney, there's a chance that you have shaling flue tiles.  Cracked and shaling flue tiles are signs of a serious condition which, if not resolved, could result in a house fire.  Unfortunately, while shaling flue tiles are easy to spot, you'll need a professional to identify if your flue liner is cracked.  

Cracked Chimney Crown
Checking to see if your chimney crown is cracked or not will require you to get on the rooftop.  The crown of your chimney is your first line of defense against all of the outdoor elements so it's important for it to be in good condition.  If it's cracked, water will get in and cause bigger issues for you and your chimney as time goes by.  A damaged chimney crown allows moisture to seep between the chimney and the liner as well as into the chimney, which can cause shaling and spalling.

Damaged Wallpaper
One of the easiest ways to tell if your chimney needs to be repaired is if you have damaged wallpaper around the areas of your chimney.