Saint Lawrence Chimney Repairs Needed? It’s Not Difficult to Spot the Symptoms

Indication that a Saint Lawrence home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t difficult to find.

Bricks, or chips from bricks, on the ground next to the chimney. Staining of remaining bricks in the structure. Obvious gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – on your Saint Lawrence chimney’s exterior.

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

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

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 seep into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the situation can be far worse. Either way, problems begin once moisture has direct contact with masonry.

Gaps in a chimney – from absent bricks, or failed mortar joints – are major red flags. Saint Lawrence rains can directly leak inside the chimney cavity, making a bad situation 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 generally 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, 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” above the chimney. Or, if the crown is too weakened, a new one is poured.

If a chimney is beyond recovery, 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 Saint Lawrence 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 uses a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney beneath. Your new chimney is as attractive as it is functional!

If you identify symptoms of a failing chimney, what’s the issue … 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 appear!