When was the last time you looked at your chimney? We mean, really looked at it? Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary lately?
If you haven’t looked at your chimney too closely or you haven’t had your chimney cleaned and inspected in a while, then we recommend that you call a professional and get that taken care of immediately. The masonry of your chimney can get damaged from water, wind, storms, and lack of maintenance.
This damage can be seen as crumbling bricks, loose bricks, spalling bricks, or mortar that is coming out from between the bricks. When this damage occurs in one or two places, it is not too dangerous, although it should still be repaired sooner than later. However, when you notice quite a few missing bricks or damaged bricks, then you are taking a chance that your chimney will collapse over time.
We recommend that you have a professional repair any of the loose bricks or replace the ones that are missing. The best time to do these repairs is during the summer, because the mortar will dry better with the warmer temperatures. You will also not need to worry about weeklong rain storms or snow, which can delay the start or the completion of this type of job.
The crown is another area that may need to be replaced as you are having the masonry repaired. If the crown has been damaged for some time, it may have allowed water to seep down along the sides of your chimney. This water would then have soaked into the bricks over time. If you have your masonry repaired, but not your crown, you will find that you will have the same damage to your bricks within a year or two.
Sometimes a chimney has been damaged so extensively that it needs to be torn down and replaced. That can be a long process and again, summer is the best time to tackle a project of that magnitude.
We don’t recommend that you wait to have any masonry repairs done to your chimney. The chance that you are taking by waiting includes your chimney structure weakening and collapsing onto your home without warning. If you aren’t sure if your masonry needs repairing, we urge you to go outside and look at it or call us for a chimney inspection. You’ll save yourself some money if you do it now, before the damage becomes too severe.
Call us at 610-626-2439 for an appointment for a consultation, chimney cleaning, chimney repair, or waterproofing the chimney. Our CSIA certified chimney sweeps are well-trained and professional. We strive to improve our education year after year and maintain our certifications in order to better serve you.