Coming into spring is the time to think about waterproofing your chimney. April showers can bring more than May flowers if your chimney isn’t ready for water. It’s best to plan for spring rain now, rather than waiting to discover a problem later.
Why Waterproofing is Important
Masonry is made up of several materials, all of which are adversely affected by water. This is why waterproofing is important to prolong the life of your chimney. If water is allowed to penetrate the masonry, it can cause expensive and troublesome damage to the entire system including:
- Rusted damper assemblies and fireplace accessories
- Deteriorated firebox assemblies and flue liner
- Stained walls, ceiling, hearth, and chimney exterior
- Decayed exterior mortar
- Collapsed hearth support and chimney structure
- Clogged clean out area and damper assemblies
Additionally, in the off-season a damp chimney can become a bother as moisture mingles with hot, humid air to produce a musty or moldy odor.
What You Can Do
The most important thing any homeowner can do for their chimney is to schedule regular maintenance. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends annual chimney inspections and regular chimney sweeps for the most efficient and safest chimneys. When a professional looks at your chimney regularly, they are better able to catch issues before they become a dangerous hazard. At an inspection your chimney sweep will be able to diagnose a chimney leak, but it’d be best to prevent the leak from happening!
Schedule Waterproofing
Chesapeake Chimney offers waterproofing services including ChimneySaver water repellent. It has a unique siloxane technology that keeps water out, while 100% vapor permeable. Chesapeake Chimney sweeps are trained for this application and stand by its performance and look. Once applied, the water repellent isn’t glossy. It has a sheer, non-glossy finish that doesn’t affect the overall look of the chimney.
The water repellent doesn’t only prevent water penetration and a host of water damage, but also prevents efflorescence, mildew, fungus, and freeze/thaw damage. Vegetation can damage masonry throughout warm weather and the freeze/thaw cycle can damage your masonry during the winter months. Water penetrates the masonry, freezes and expands. Then, it thaws and moves further into the masonry, only to freeze again and repeat the cycle. This process leads to spalling, more leaking, and necessary repairs.
Schedule a waterproofing appointment to protect your chimney for the rest of winter and the spring. Our certified chimney sweeps at Chesapeake Chimney will check your flashing, chimney cap, crown, and masonry for weaknesses and take measures to correct it.
Call 410-535-0052 today for more details!
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