Milwaukee County Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Hard to Spot the Symptoms

Indication that a Milwaukee County 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. Evident gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – on your Milwaukee County chimney’s exterior.

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

Each indicator might have a different cause. Hesitating to act isn’t recommended, though. Problems can rapidly worsen. The initial step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Milwaukee County.

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

Gaps in a chimney – from absent bricks, or failed mortar joints – are major warnings. Milwaukee County rains can directly penetrate inside the chimney cavity, making a bad scenario far worse.

The initial step is to address root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, installing a stainless steel chimney liner generally stops internal moisture problems. The harm to the chimney remains, though.

Tuckpointing - grinding out and replacing deteriorated mortar – is sometimes all that’s involved. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ regular 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” over 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 order. A masonry project takes three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Milwaukee County neighbors can expect scaffolding to be erected, or a temporary rooftop construction station built.

The chimney is reconstructed 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 beautiful as it is functional!

If you spot 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 more (or worse) symptoms show up!