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Protect Your Chimney With Flashing and Waterproofing

To you, winter means warm and cozy fires in your fireplace. However, for your chimney, winter means something else entirely. It means wet and potentially damaging weather. The water and moisture that comes with winter’s rain, snow, sleet and ice can do major damage to your chimney. In addition, not only your chimney, but through your chimney, and to your home. That’s why the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) cautions homeowners to protect their chimneys from water damage. As you prepare your chimney for winter weather, there are two things you should consider: Your chimney flashing and waterproofing.

Flashing

Your chimney flashing is the sheet metal material that connects your chimney to your roof-line. This seals off the seam from potential water intrusions. Over time, that flashing can rust and corrode. It can develop cracks and holes that allow water to make its way into your home, along the base of the chimney. Those in the chimney repair industry report that most chimney leaks are in the flashing, around the base of the chimney.

Leaks in the chimney flashing are especially dangerous to your home. This is because leaks in the flashing don’t just let water into your chimney.  They also let water leak into your home’s roof and structure. Leaks through the chimney flashing can cause water rot and damage in your home’s joists and studs. It can cause mold in your attic, and it can cause discoloration and sagging in ceilings and wallboard. So, as you prepare your chimney and your home for winter weather, you should have your chimney flashing inspected.  Have any damage to the chimney flashing repaired before leaks develop.

Waterproofing

Chimney masonry materials are highly porous. Bricks, mortar and stone absorb and retain water. In the winter, the water inside the masonry materials freezes and expands when temperatures drop. That freezing causes bricks to cause spalling and mortar to crumble. That spalling and crumbling degrades the chimney structure over time. Consequently, this leads to chimney leaks or weakness in the chimney structure.

One of the most effective ways to protect your chimney from water damage is with waterproofing. Waterproofing involves applying a solution to your chimney that prevents chimney masonry from drawing in water and moisture, while still allowing your chimney to breathe. Waterproofing can protect your home and chimney from water leaks. In addition, it can save your chimney structure from major damage.

Call Your Chimney Sweep Today!

Make sure your chimney is protected from rain, snow, sleet and ice this winter. Call Your Chimney Sweep to schedule an appointment today! We can inspect and, when needed, repair the flashing around the base of your chimney.  Plus, we can waterproof your chimney to protect your chimney masonry from all of this winter’s wet weather!

Does your chimney need to be relined?

As chimneys across the country undergo their annual inspections in preparation for the winter, it’s a fair bet that several homeowners will hear that their chimneys need new liners. But what does that really mean? Why do chimney liners need to be replaced? What are the options for replacing a chimney liner?

Chimney liners: A closer look

As the name suggests, the chimney liner contours the inside of your chimney flue. It insulates your fireplace from the rest of your home, keeping in the heat and smoke. Chimney liners also protect the chimney structure from corrosion caused by soot. Chimney can also help to properly size a chimney to improve its draft. In many homes, chimney liners are built from clay tiles. In other homes, the chimney liners are metal, generally either stainless steel or aluminum.

Why chimney liners need to be replaced

Chimney liners are incredibly durable. They’re made to stand up to the heat of your fireplace. Regardless, chimney liners do break down over time. Aluminum chimney liners especially will show their wear quickly. Clay tiles can crack over time, as they come into contact with moisture and heat, and the mortar joints between the tiles can crumble away, leaving gaps within the fireplace flue. Even stainless steel chimney liners are not impervious to wear and tear over time.
A weakened chimney liner can cause a major hazard in your home. Cracks or holes within the liner can allow the heat, and potentially embers from your fireplace to heat your home’s surrounding structure. That puts your home at risk of structural damage or a home fire. Faults in the chimney liner also can allow carbon monoxide to escape the chimney and put your family in danger.

Options for replacing your chimney liner

When it comes to relining a chimney, there are two methods chimney sweeps prefer to use. First, a chimney can be relined with an aluminum or stainless steel chimney liner. If there is an existing metal chimney liner, that will be removed, and the new chimney liner, properly sized for your flue, will be inserted.
The other option for relining a damaged tile chimney liner is HeatShield Cerfractory Sealant. HeatShield is a pourable substance made from ceramic and cerfractory cement, which makes it strong and durable. When relining your chimney with HeatShield, a custom made foam applicator is lowered down your chimney. The HeatShield is poured in, and the foam applicator is pulled up, smoothing the HeatShield into place. Depending on the severity of your chimney liner’s deterioration, multiple layers of HeatShield or different HeatShield products might be used to restore your liner.

Need a new liner? Call Your Chimney Sweep!

If your chimney needs to be relined in preparation for the winter, call Your Chimney Sweep  to schedule your appointment! We will inspect your chimney and recommend the best option for relining. We can then restore your chimney’s function with a new metal or HeatShield liner!