Have you observed that the chimney on your bricks looks worn, crumbled, or cracked? You are most likely encountering a problem when it comes to chimney spalling. A spalling brick breaks down into smaller pieces. The fragments make the brick look unsteady, and based on your location, cause structural issues to the rest of the chimney.

Through time, your house interior might be exposed to more moisture, and mold, because of deteriorating structure. Spalling is an issue that you want to prevent or catch early so you can avoid serious damage and home risk.

You might have to pay for chimney inspection if you do not take care of your chimney early. Read on to know more.

Moisture

Moisture exposure is among the largest drivers of spalling. Melting, rain, snow, or pressure washing the exterior of your house causes damage. When moisture goes through the mortar or other chimney parts, bricks corrode over time. This is also true in colder climates. While water freezes within bricks, it will expand and break the material down even more.

Beyond the brick damage, this moisture can eventually lead to mold when it is trapped in the walls of your home.

Spalling

When the brick surface breaks off or becomes damaged, this is called “spalling.” Bricks absorb moisture because of the substance it is made of. The water absorbed in each brick thaws and freezes when there are varying temperatures over winter, which results in spalling. Spalling is more than aesthetics.

Bricks might become unusable as components in a structure if broken to the point that they can no longer give support. You need to check for external damage to your chimney, like cracked bricks around the chimney base.

Aged or Second-hand Bricks

In case your chimney was assembled with bricks from a salvage yard, this could be the culprit of damages. Since old bricks become predisposed to spalling, you will get the chimney off to a rocky start when you use them. Most of the time, there is more damage by soot, smoke, and using it for years.

Liner Damage

In case water enters the chimney, it could rust the firebox or damper. When there is a lot of moisture to cause rusting, a comprehensive examination of your chimney should be performed to evaluate the extent of the damage since not all damage is evident. Another issue that moisture can create is tile degeneration. In case there is a gap in the chimney flue, it needs to be fixed right away. However, if the moisture penetrates the gap, it might cause ceiling and wall damage.

Poor Foundation

A sinking chimney foundation that happens when the ground or underneath your home shifts or changes might be the reason why your chimney base is crumbling. In case the soil becomes oversaturated, it can change and put the foundation of your home at risk. While the foundation shifts, the chimney footing or chimney could tilt outward or inward. Cracks and gaps will form, which allows insects and moisture to enter openings, which makes the problem worse.

Weak Footing

The chimney footing can sometimes be too thin or it does not sink deep enough, causing the crumble/cracking under enough weight of the piled mortar and brick. Footings that are made of inferior materials are prone to failure. Cracked footing is the common cause of why your chimney is tilting.

In general, the footing has to be at least one foot thick and then it extends six inches beyond the chimney on every side.

You can talk to chimney contractors Bowie if you have a crumbling chimney so it can be repaired.

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