How to Deal With Interior and Exterior Chimney Problems
A working fireplace does more to set the mood for romance and coziness at home than anything else. Even though a fire in the fall or winter is a great way to stay warm, you will need to clean and fix your fireplace chimney from time to time. It’s easy to forget about your chimney, but there are some problems that need to be fixed right away. Here are four of the most serious problems you could face and what to do about them.
Chimney That Leaks
You won’t always be able to see the damage, but there will be a few signs. Depending on what caused the leak and where it is, you may see water spots on the walls or ceiling next to it. After it rains, you might smell mildew or other smells, see condensation in your firebox, or even hear water dripping.
The leak could be happening almost anywhere along the path of your chimney. It could mean damage to the shingles on the roof, the flashing around the chimney, or cracks in the mortar or masonry. For repairs, you might need to put on new shingles or flashing, or replace the chimney cap or broken bricks.
Masonry damage to a chimney
Your chimney is not as simple as it may look. The long stretch can be made of any or all of the following: brick, mortar, stone, concrete, flue tiles, cast iron, steel, or a combination of these. Since you don’t see much of your chimney, you might not even know what it’s made of.
Some of these materials are more likely to break or crumble than others, but any damage must be fixed before water can get in. If your chimney doesn’t have a cap, have one put on. That might be the best way to protect yourself.
Also, check the flashing on your chimney every so often to make sure it’s in good shape. Replace or fix the chimney crown, which is the top part of the chimney. Seal any mortar joints that have broken down.
Efflorescence on Chimney Bricks on the Outside
This strange-sounding term refers to stains that can slowly spread across the outside of your chimney. Usually, the stain is white, but it could also be other colors. Efflorescence happens when water gets into the brick and mixes with the salt in the mortar. This leaves a salty residue. The residue and stains aren’t really the problem; they show that water is getting through. It means water is getting in.
This can happen if you don’t have a chimney liner or if it’s broken. Fix it before the problem gets even worse. Putting a chimney cap on can also make things safer.
Creosote and other blockages in the chimney flue
Because of creosote, you should always try to make small, hot fires. They make less smoke and particulate matter, which means less mess and trouble with the gunk that builds up on your flue and the inside walls of your fireplace and chimney.
If you have creosote on your flue, it can stop up your chimney and let carbon monoxide into your home. The sooty buildup can also start fires in places you don’t want them and even cause toxic fumes to come out.
If creosote, soot, and other gunk are building up on the walls of your fireplace, the problem is probably somewhere else in your chimney. The best thing to do is call a chimney sweep. He or she has the right tools and work experience to take care of the problem before it gets worse.
The Power of Care Before It’s Too Late
Taking care of a possible risk before it becomes a real problem is without a doubt the best way to “fix” a chimney problem. That means having a professional check on your chimney every so often. It’s much easier and less expensive to seal the masonry and take other preventive steps than it might be to fix the damage caused by worst-case chimney problems. Have occasional Chimney Cleaning Palermo done by reliable technicians like the technicians at Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning. Call today!
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