One drop of water could pose serious risk to your home. This becomes a serious issue for your chimney. Just one drop, unchecked, over time could spell major disaster. This is not an old wives tale. Water leads to mold, plain and simple. If you do not waterproof your home’s exteriors you can end up with a steady stream of droplets that leads to serious issues within the walls of your home, and that issue can fester. Left alone, spores can form and mold can be deadly. This doesn’t happen in one day, or one hour, so don’t panic just yet. You should know a little bit about the warning signs.

Sounds of Water

Listen closely to your home’s fireplace. Listen to the walls, and try to focus on water dripping anywhere. You’ll sometimes here a droplet here or there. Sometimes it’s after rain, sometimes it’s not raining at all; it’s just moisture from weather changes. Water is an absolute enemy of home maintenance. The warning sign that water is coming in is usually connected with cracked bricks, flashing problems, and chips to the masonry on the chimney.

The Smell

Mold has a distinct smell. You need to be wary of any musky odors that come through the fireplace when it is not in use. If you smell a musky odor in your home, water may be getting into the walls, and you may have mold. Always make sure that you are sniffing around for this, because you don’t want it to become a major issue.

Preventative Maintenance

Prevention is your best bet against the signs of mold infestation. A chimney crown, cap, and inspection should not be dismissed. Water damage isn’t always immediate; it builds over time and can cause anything from insect infestations to mold to wood rot and loss of structural integrity. A preventative maintenance schedule will keep your chimney and fireplace working together smoothly and water-free.

Waterproofing isn’t something that needs to be done every year. Our preferred waterproofing agent only has to be reapplied about every three years depending on wear and tear. We will help you keep an eye on it each year when we visit to inspect and clean your chimney. Chimney maintenance is as importance as vehicle maintenance or visiting your primary care physician once a year for a checkup.

The CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) recommends that the chimney be inspected and swept at least once per year. You can take a look at their recommended schedule on their website at CSIA.org. Both of the chimney sweeps at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service are CSIA Certified, F.I.R.E Certified, and C-DET certified to clean and maintain dryer vents.

Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule your chimney cleaning and inspection. Make sure to change the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors at the same time as your inspection so we know we have everything working properly going into winter.