Cheeseville Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Difficult to Spot the Symptoms

Indication that a Cheeseville home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t difficult to identify.

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 Cheeseville chimney’s exterior.

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

Each indicator 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 Cheeseville.

The commonality in nearly every chimney problem is water. Sometimes the cause is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which permit moisture to escape into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the issue 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 major red flags. Cheeseville rains can directly get inside the chimney cavity, making a bad scenario far worse.

The initial step is to confront root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, putting in 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 involved. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ regular 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” over the chimney. Or, if the crown is too damaged, 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 Cheeseville 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 uses a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney below. Your new chimney is as attractive as it is functional!

If you detect symptoms of a deteriorating 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!