Glenn Oaks Beach Chimney Repairs Needed? It’s Not Difficult to Find the Warnings

Indication that a Glenn Oaks Beach home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t hard 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 – lining your Glenn Oaks Beach chimney’s exterior.

Inside the house, discoloration or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a warning, too.

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

The commonality in nearly every chimney issue is water. Sometimes the cause 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 start once moisture has direct contact with masonry.

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

The first step is to confront root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, installing a stainless steel chimney liner typically stops internal moisture issues. The harm 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, guaranteeing a decade of protection from the elements.

If the source of water leakage is a damaged chimney crown, two options exist. A stainless steel chimney cap can be mounted atop the crown, forming an “umbrella” above 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 line. 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 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 find the answers. Time, though, is of the essence – contact Butler Chimneys before more (or worse) symptoms show up!