Jefferson County Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Difficult to Spot the Warnings
Evidence that a Jefferson County home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t hard to find.
Bricks, or chips from bricks, on the ground next to the chimney. Staining of remaining bricks in the structure. Visible gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – coating your Jefferson County chimney’s exterior.
Inside a house, staining or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a red flag, too.
Each symptom might have a different cause. Hesitating to act isn’t smart, though. Problems can quickly worsen. The first step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Jefferson County.
The commonality in nearly every chimney problem is water. Often the culprit is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which allow moisture to escape into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the situation can be far worse. Either way, problems begin when moisture has direct contact with masonry.
Gaps in a chimney – from missing bricks, or failed mortar joints – are serious red flags. Jefferson County rains can directly leak inside the chimney cavity, making a bad situation far worse.
The initial step is to confront root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, installing a stainless steel chimney liner generally stops internal moisture issues. The damage to the chimney remains, though.
Tuckpointing - grinding out and replacing deteriorated mortar – is occasionally all that’s required. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ normal five-year warranty, promising a decade of protection from the elements.
If the source of water leakage is a damaged chimney crown, two options are available. A stainless steel chimney cap can be mounted atop the crown, forming an “umbrella” above the chimney. Or, if the crown is too deteriorated, a new one is poured.
If a chimney is beyond recovery, a full or partial rebuild is in order. A masonry project runs three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Jefferson County neighbors can expect scaffolding to be erected, or a temporary rooftop construction station built.
The chimney is rebuilt with fresh bricks and new mortar to building code height. Butler Chimneys works to match colors of new bricks to originals; bricks can be stained, if needed.
A new 5-inch-thick concrete crown is poured on top. The crown uses a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney below. Your new chimney is as beautiful as it is functional!
If you spot symptoms of a failing chimney, what’s the issue … and the remedy? Only inspection by a qualified chimney company can tell. Time, though, is of the essence – contact Butler Chimneys before more (or worse) symptoms appear!