Lake Mills Chimney Repairs Needed? It’s Not Difficult to Spot the Symptoms

Evidence that a Lake Mills home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t hard to identify.

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 – on your Lake Mills chimney’s exterior.

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

Each symptom might have a different source. Waiting to act isn’t recommended, though. Complications can quickly worsen. The first step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Lake Mills.

The underlying source in almost every chimney issue is water. Sometimes 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 problem can be far worse. Either way, problems ensue when moisture has direct contact with masonry.

Gaps in a chimney – from missing bricks, or failed mortar joints – are serious warnings. Lake Mills rains can directly leak inside the chimney cavity, making a bad situation far worse.

The first step is to address root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, installing a stainless steel chimney liner usually stops internal moisture issues. 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’ 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 exist. A stainless steel chimney cap can be mounted atop the crown, creating an “umbrella” above the chimney. Or, if the crown is too deteriorated, a new one is poured.

If a chimney is beyond restoration, a full or partial rebuild is in line. A masonry project takes three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Lake Mills 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 indicators of a deteriorating chimney, what’s the problem … and the fix? Only inspection by a qualified chimney company can find the answers. Time, though, is of the essence – contact Butler Chimneys before additional (or worse) symptoms show up!