Glenn Oaks Beach Chimney Repairs Needed? It’s Not Hard to Spot the Symptoms

Indication that a Glenn Oaks Beach home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t difficult to find.

Bricks, or chips from bricks, on the ground next to the chimney. Discoloration of remaining bricks in the structure. Obvious gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – coating your Glenn Oaks Beach chimney’s exterior.

Inside the home, staining or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a warning, too.

Each symptom might have a different cause. Hesitating to act isn’t advisable, though. Problems can rapidly worsen. The initial step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Glenn Oaks Beach.

The common factor in almost every chimney problem is water. Often the culprit is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which permit moisture to seep into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the issue can be far worse. Either way, problems start once moisture has direct contact with masonry.

Gaps in a chimney – from missing bricks, or compromised mortar joints – are serious red flags. Glenn Oaks Beach rains can directly penetrate inside the chimney cavity, making a bad scenario far worse.

The first step is to address root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, putting in a stainless steel chimney liner typically stops internal moisture problems. The damage to the chimney remains, though.

Tuckpointing - grinding out and replacing deteriorated mortar – is occasionally all that’s needed. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ standard five-year warranty, guaranteeing a decade of protection from the elements.

If the source of water leakage is a cracked chimney crown, two options exist. A stainless steel chimney cap can be mounted atop the crown, creating an “umbrella” over the chimney. Or, if the crown is too weakened, a new one is poured.

If a chimney is beyond restoration, 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 Glenn Oaks Beach neighbors can expect scaffolding to be put up, 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 features a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney beneath. Your new chimney is as attractive as it is functional!

If you detect symptoms of a failing chimney, what’s the problem … 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!