Edgewood Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Hard to Spot the Warnings
Indication that a Edgewood 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 – coating your Edgewood chimney’s exterior.
Inside the home, staining or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a red flag, too.
Each indicator might have a different source. Hesitating to act isn’t advisable, though. Issues can quickly worsen. The initial step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Edgewood.
The underlying reason in nearly every chimney issue is water. Often the culprit is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which permit moisture to enter into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the situation can be far worse. Either way, problems start when moisture has direct contact with masonry.
Gaps in a chimney – from missing bricks, or failed mortar joints – are serious warnings. Edgewood rains can directly leak 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, 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 sometimes all that’s needed. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ standard 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 recovery, a full or partial rebuild is in order. A masonry project runs three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Edgewood 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 below. Your new chimney is as beautiful as it is functional!
If you notice indicators of a deteriorating chimney, what’s the problem … and the fix? Only inspection by a qualified chimney company can tell. Time, though, is of the essence – contact Butler Chimneys before more (or worse) symptoms show up!