If you’ve started learning about the different parts of your chimney, you’ve likely heard about the importance of the chimney flue. All of the sections of a chimney work together to make up the way that a chimney works, and the chimney flue is an important part of this system.

Now, we’ll explain what a chimney flue is and other common related questions.

What is a Chimney Flue?

It is the passageway through which smoke and exhaust leave your property. It is critical to line your chimney flue to ensure proper venting. Because soot is a fire hazard, it should be inspected every year and swept by specialists as necessary.

What Does a Chimney Flue Liner Do?

A chimney liner is a lining that goes inside the chimney’s flue. A liner is made of clay, ceramic, or a metal conduit. Its job is to hold burning products and guide them outside of the chimney, while keeping the chimney walls safe from damage caused by exposure to heat and moisture.

Why is Having One Important?

Chimney flues without liners begin to fall apart and leak smoke and exhaust as time goes on. When smoke is not efficiently leaving your chimney, the risk of a chimney fire increases over time. Liners are designed to keep your flue working correctly and to keep your chimney safe overall.

When is Repair Needed?

When the passageway can no longer perform the function of carrying flue gasses up and out, it’s time for replacement. Signs your flue is in need of repair include:

• Poor draft
• Falling debris
• Soot staining
• Loss of hot water
• Heating equipment won’t stay on

The post What is a Chimney Flue: Your Chimney Flue Guide appeared first on Boston’s Best Chimney.

The chimney liner is a vital part of the infrastructure of the home. In many municipalities in Illinois, it is required that a chimney liner be installed and in good working order to sell your home. So, before you go anywhere, let’s first talk about the chimney liner, what it does and why it’s important to have it installed and in good working order before to purchase a new home or try to sell the one you are in.

What is a Chimney Liner?

A chimney liner goes from the bottom of the chimney to the top for the purpose of guiding smoke, fire and other combustibles from the home – it is your firewall!  The guidance of harmful smoke, or other leave-behinds, toward the outside of the home keeps people and pets safe. There are various types of chimney liners that are present in homes today.

• Fire Clay – Fire clay tiles were a popular choice starting in the early 1900s. The tiles do not last very long as extreme temperatures force them to dry, crack and deteriorate.  They are highly susceptible to cracking when exposed to water and the freeze / thaw cycles of winter
• Aluminum – aluminum liners are somewhat durable; however, they are not made for fireplace chimneys. Circumstantially, they are the “cheaper” solution for gas furnaces, some boilers and water heaters.
• Stainless steel – stainless steel liners are the most durable and best suited material for all chimneys and wood burning fireplaces. If it can hold up to wood burning, then stainless steel liners are a perfect solution for all chimney and fireplaces as well.

The best way to identify what is currently in your chimney flue is to have a certified chimney technician evaluate the health of your chimney and report the type of material protecting your home from the sides of the chimney walls. Begin the process by contacting Superior Chimney at 877-244-6349.

Top 2 Signs that the Chimney Needs a Chimney Liner

If you are thinking about selling your home and wonder if you’ll need to make the investment before you put it on the market, here are a few, of many, signs that can help you determine if you need a chimney liner.

1. Chimney walls are deteriorating or discoloring
2. Condensation / Saturation (water or moisture in the chimney or on surrounding home construction materials/walls)

Inspections

If you are looking for a new home, be sure to get a complete inspection. Ask Certified Chimney Technician to look inside the fireplace and chimney to ensure the fireplace is up to code. You can likely and easily negotiate it into the real estate contract.

Caring for the Chimney and the Chimney Liner

Now that you know how critical the chimney liner is to your home, let’s get your chimney checked out. With it being warmer months, you won’t be using the fireplace. This is a perfect time to get the chimney swept, inspected and if you need a chimney liner…installed. Now when the cooler/colder weather comes around, you’ll be ready to enjoy the fire with your family and friends with peace of mind.

This post first appeared on https://www.superiorchimney.net

When a chimney is built well, its masonry should offer stability and performance for many years. Masonry is comprised of two parts: bricks and mortar. While bricks may last for a century, the mortar that holds the bricks together may begin to fail in 25 years or less.

Tuckpointing basics

In simple terms, tuckpointing involves removing old, crumbling mortar within a chimney’s masonry and replacing it with a strong, long-lasting compound. Old mortar is scraped or ground out, and the new mortar is selected to closely match the color of the original mortar.

A proper tuckpointing job brings three benefits:

1. The chimney looks clean and handsome once again.
2. The chimney is now protected from intruding water and moisture, which is the central problem in the majority of chimney repair issues.
3. The chimney is now strengthened and far less likely to lean or collapse.

Benefit #1 is pretty self-explanatory. Let’s look at #2 and #3.

How water from rain and snow damages your chimney

Water is not a good mix with bricks and mortar. When cracks or crumbling begin in a chimney’s masonry, water can seep in and begin a cycle of deterioration.

In the Kansas City area, we get a lot of freezing temperatures in the winter. When this happens, moisture inside the bricks and mortar freezes and then expands, as frozen water will do. The result is further cracking and decay.

Incoming water can cause damage to a chimney liner and interior masonry. It can also eventually get to walls, flooring, attics and other home building materials and cause rotting.
For these and many other reasons, tuckpointing – and brick replacement, when necessary – are strongly recommended in the early stages of damage, before it gets out of hand.

Chimneys should stand up straight

Mortar joint deterioration is a common cause of leaning chimneys. After a chimney has begun to tilt, it isn’t going to right itself. Rather, it’s going to eventually lean to the point where it literally falls.
Of course, you wouldn’t let your chimney get to the about-to-collapse stage, but many homeowners will allow mortar to keep crumbling for years and years before addressing the problem.

Like with all chimney repairs, tuckpointing is best performed early. If your chimney is more than 20 years old, keep an eye on the masonry mortar and contact a tuckpointing specialist if you notice crumbling and cracks.

How chimney bricks and mortar become damaged

Old age is sure to eventually take its toll on chimney masonry. Other causes of damage include:

• Lightning strikes
• Major hail storms
• Freezing and thawing (as mentioned above)
• House-settling
• Problems with the chimney footing, which cause shifting
• Gale-force winds
• Chimney fires, many of which you may not even know about

The post Chimney Tuckpointing: How it Can Save Your Chimney appeared first on Fluesbrothers Chimney Service.

Summer is a great time to get a start on or finish those home repair projects that you’ve been meaning to tackle. This includes everything from long overdue landscaping to painting a fence to taking care of issues with your chimney. This is especially true with the latter as you’re not likely to be using your fireplace at all when it’s hot outside. Of course, it also means that summer is a great time for an inspection and to address any problems your Northeastern Chimney technician discovers with your masonry. Here are the five most common repairs a technician will deal with when visiting your home.

Tuckpointing

Over time, brick and mortar can wear down. The method to remove and replace this kind of damage is known as tuckpointing.  Little things such as cracks in your bricks or flaking mortar can weaken the structural integrity of your chimney. Eventually, this will lead to problems down the line. An experienced chimney technician will first perform an inspection. Then, they’ll repair this damage by removing the affected area and replacing it with color-matched new brick and mortar, leaving your chimney to look as good as new.

Repairing your crown

The crown of your chimney is exposed to the elements day in and day out. It also protects the chimney from allowing water to get inside and cause problems. Because of this, it is a very important component that should always be working properly. Cracks and damage are a recipe for disaster. After an inspection uncovers the problem, your technician will either repair the crown and seal or (depending on the extent of the damage) replace it completely.

Replacing a missing cap

The same can be said for the chimney cap. If your cap is missing, birds, insects, other small animals, moisture, and other kinds of debris can find their way into your chimney. Eventually, their intrusion will lead to odor, damage, and worst of all, a potential fire. Replacing a chimney cap is one common and also easy repair that can be taken care of during the summer.

Fixing a broken damper

You may not think about your damper because it’s up inside the flue. But, if it’s broken, you might find out the hard way in terms of increased heating costs. Worse yet, if your damper is stuck in the closed position, daggers smoke and gases will back up inside of your home. The damper acts somewhat like a lid on the chimney, preventing heat from escaping when the fireplace is not being used and allowing fumes to escape when you’re using it.

Overhaul of the firebox

No one wants to experience a house fire. Overhauling the firebox is critical to improving safety. Heat and chemicals can break down the inner parts of your firebox and allow the heat to escape into the walls of your home with disastrous consequences. Additionally, this can cause a decrease in efficiency. However, because you’re not using your chimney during the summer, this is the best time to replace this critically important component of your fireplace system.

This post first appeared on https://www.mychimney.com

A chimney cap is a protective covering that can go over your chimney. Normally, they are made of steel mesh with copper and come in different styles to match the outer part of your home. On the mesh ring, there is a cap that is helpful in protecting your chimney against downdrafts and rain.

Nobody really thinks about their fireplace when it is hot outside, but everyone has to because when the cold weather starts to set in, they look for a fireplace. Some people even hire chimney sweep to have theirs checked in preparation for the cold months.

Read on to know more about why you need to install a chimney cap and how it helps you.

Saves You Money

When it becomes chilly, you will want to feel warm and bundle up. In case you do not have a chimney cap, it may be difficult to get warm. The reason behind this is that when it is windy and cold, downdrafts are affecting the temperature in your home and your energy bills will start to shoot up.

These cold gusts are uncomfortable, and they can cause ember, smoke, and ash to blow inside your house and cause damage. If there is a chimney cap, the temperature in your home will become more stable, and you will have lower energy bills.

Prevents Fires

The only fire that should be happening is the one inside your fireplace. Chimney caps can be useful for controlling the sparks and preventing any fire. There are times when a fire can throw sparks up your chimney and then out the flue. This cap will potentially catch fire on your roof, which cause terrible damage. The protection a chimney cap offers will go both ways: it is outfitted using a mesh that will keep embers wherever they are and it protects the environment from very dangerous situations.

Keeps Water Out

Moisture is the worst nightmare of any chimney. When water has an easy path inside your chimney, the problems that will rise if you do not care about it can end up costing thousands of repairs.

Your brick and mortar deteriorate faster and your damper and liner will become damaged. In addition, whenever there is water buildup inside your home, the mold and mildew growth will become greater.

A chimney cap keeps the rainwater out of the chimney which leads to a longer and healthier life for every aspect of your chimney and fireplace.

Keeps Animals Out

Sure, some critters are cute, but you would not want a raccoon or baby bird to end up in your chimney. Even if you might question whether animals would be drawn to your chimney, from which smoke gusts, dark shoots, and warm environment attract them.

When animals go into their chimney, they can become stuck and this causes extreme clogging, as well as bad odors. Installing a cap helps you prevent animals from going inside your chimney, and it saves you from the costs of cleaning.

Prevents Flue Blockage

If your gutters are cleaned out every year, you will know how much debris can land on your roof. The leaves from nearby trees, branches, twigs, and other materials will build up and lead to problems. However, that is stopping all the debris from making its way down your chimney.

Without a chimney cap, debris can build up in your chimney. When your flue is blocked, it can lead to smoke and carbon monoxide back drafting that will go inside your home.

This post first appeared on https://www.firstclasschimneyservices.com

The efflorescence is the white material that you see on a chimney that is in the form of a powdery mass. Your chimney will have efflorescence when the moisture picks up the minerals, then carries them to the masonry surface, and then leaves them behind as tiny crystals on the surface while the moisture evaporates. These minerals do not cause harm, and all you have to do is brush them away.

It is common to have a small amount of efflorescence, but if it becomes excessive, you should contact the chimney cleaning services so they can take care of it. The rainfall that soaks the brick can cause efflorescence. Read on to know more.

Power Wash it

Yes, you can power wash it. However, when you spray the efflorescent deposits using a power washer, you are not really removing the white stains effectively from the bricks. If you try washing the efflorescence off using a light-powered hose, you should be careful about using a high-pressure spray, which causes more damage to the surface.

Using a power washer on the roof is not the best way to go. It can fall and should only be handled by professionals with the right safety gear.

Brushing

By using a strong brush, you can easily remove efflorescence. In order to clean the efflorescence brick, it is important to do this in dry and warm weather. During this time, moisture can bring more salts to the brick’s surface, and you can use a dry brush to remove the salts.

Using clear water repellents, acrylic coatings and silicone can also help you get rid of efflorescence. The coating absorbs water on a masonry surface and it prevents efflorescence from happening again. In addition, the warm water and white vinegar combination have been known to take out efflorescence.

Use Abrasives

You can try rubbing the salt off by using an abrasive material or a rotary tool, or a sandblaster. All of this could be effective, but it can damage the surface.

Protecting brickwork of your chimney is important. Any damages that are done during the cleaning process cause another problem that did not exist in the past.

If you do this successfully, the porous surface should be sealed properly to prevent any future damage from happening. Scrubbing, scraping, or sanding off all the white salt deposits is not going to stop water from going inside the mortar joins. So, your problem will just get worst.

Rinse the Surface Again

You should rinse the surface of the building with water once again. After that, use a dry and fresh cloth to clean the surface again. Make sure the surface is dry in order to minimize the efflorescence.

Apply coatings about 1/8 to ¼ inches below the building’s surface. This will prevent water evaporation and passing through the treated area like soluble salts and vapor.

Chemical Products

Chemical treatments like muriatic acid, but the downsides can be severe, and you need to be cautious when it comes to using it for a couple of reasons:

1. Muriatic acid contains a lot of toxic chemicals
2. The acid causes any metal in the area to start rusting
3. The effectiveness is less than 100%

Causes:

• Presence of water-soluble salts inside the wall
• There is enough water in the wall to render a soluble solution
• A path for the soluble salts to penetrate through the surface where the moisture will evaporate, which leaves efflorescence on the surface

This post first appeared on https://www.firstclasschimneyservices.com

Chimney Health Hazards: Things You Should Know

Our chimneys, in conjunction with the fireplaces they support, help to provide us with much warmth during the colder months. They can, however, have various adverse effects on our health. Of course, one shouldn’t live in fear of this, though it is wise to have a working knowledge of chimney and fireplace health hazards. Let’s look at some ways in which your chimney may be more foe than friend.

Creosote Exposure

Creosote is an oily black substance that can potentially build up inside your chimney flue because of incomplete wood combustion (can be removed with a chimney cleaning). Not only does this stuff sound nasty, but it can also produce some undesirable health effects, such as:

Skin Irritation.

Physical contact with creosote buildup can cause rashes and other major skin issues.

Eye Irritation.

Creosote debris that gets on/in the eyes will irritate them, sometimes to the point of feeling burning sensations or actual chemical burns. Sensitivity to light is also possible.

Respiratory Problems.

Breathing in creosote particles for a length of time often catches up with the person exposed, as lung and other respiratory issues may develop.

Abdominal Issues.

Creosote carries with it the potential to irritate both one’s kidneys and liver.

Mental Problems.

Serious exposure to creosote will cause seizures and confusion in some people.

Cancer.

Though this greatest health effect has not occurred often from chimney use, creosote exposure does have the potential to cause skin cancer.

Chimney Soot Inhalation

Chimney soot is another contaminant resulting from incomplete combustion, and it forms when wood does not burn hot enough (less than 284 degrees). This powdery brown or black dust sticks to the inside of chimneys (sometimes escaping into the air) and carries a few risks similar to creosote, such as:

Lung Hazard.

Like creosote, if chimney soot is inhaled in great enough amounts, it has the potential to either irritate the lungs or cause lung diseases.

Respiratory Risks.

In conjunction with lung problems, general respiratory infections may crop up due to soot inhalation.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a hazardous gas that is odorless, colorless and tasteless, making it notoriously hard to detect. The gas is a result of incomplete combustion due to insufficient oxygen to finish oxidation. In this case, it doesn’t make it to the carbon dioxide form. When Carbon monoxide makes it into the air, several health problems may emerge:

Flu-like Symptoms.

Carbon monoxide taken into the body in small amounts may mirror flu characteristics, including fatigue, nausea, confusion or headache.

Organ Troubles.

The more carbon monoxide you inhale, the worse the impacts on your health. Breathing in large quantities (At once or over time) of this gas may result in brain damage or heart problems, and at its worst even death.

Chimney Swifts and Histoplasmosis

Chimney swifts are small, brownish black birds with an affinity for taking up residence inside residential chimneys. The birds themselves are little more than annoying, though what they leave behind may cause problems. Their droppings may cause histoplasmosis, a respiratory infection caused by histplasma capsulatum, a fungus. Symptoms generally look like a mild illness or flu, and include:

Chronic Cough.

Coughing a lot? It might be a sign of a larger problem from your chimney.

Chest Pain.

Chest pain is never something to ignore, and if you knowingly have chimney swifts, it may be worth it to mention to the doctor.

Fever, Chills or Sweats.

Though usually associated with the flu, these symptoms may be the result of extreme buildup of histplasma capsulatum in your chimney.

Lack of Appetite and Weight Loss.

While you may simply be under the weather when this happens, if this or any of the above symptoms have joined forces, those chimney swifts may be to blame.

None of these things are particularly enjoyable to cope with. So, the underlying message is simple: take precautions and clean your chimney. Chimney sweeps can determine with a chimney inspection if any internal structures of your chimney are damaged, contributing to buildup problems. Additionally, chimney sweeps will remove creosote, soot and chimney swift deposits, resulting in decreased health risks. You may also consider having your home checked for carbon monoxide and also install a carbon monoxide detector. With a better knowledge of chimney risks, you can now enjoy wintertime fires more responsibly!

The post Chimney Health Hazards appeared first on Highs Chimney.

Regular maintenance on your masonry chimney will keep it looking great for years. In reality, though, regular maintenance falls through the cracks while you juggle work, life and family. Sometimes, even the most proactive homeowners will be surprised by damage left by previous owners. So while in a perfect world, repointing would be the only masonry service the average masonry chimney would need, in reality you might find unfamiliar problems with your masonry.

Masonry Chimney Damage

Spalled Bricks

Broken (or spalled) bricks are one of the most noticeable types of damage. This is most commonly seen when the front of the brick has either broken or fallen from the masonry.

We’ve mentioned before that the largest cause of damage to brick and masonry is freeze and thaw cycles. Bricks are built to withstand water by finishing them with a hard non-porous outer shell. Spalled bricks break this shell and expose the porous interior of the brick, allowing water damage to destroy your masonry at an accelerated rate.

Spalled bricks are primarily caused when mortar with an incorrect compression rate is used. Mortar is made to absorb the expansion of brick during freeze and thaw cycles. If the mortar is stronger than the brick, however, this role reverses. As brick isn’t meant to be squeezed by expanding materials, it can quickly deteriorate.

The Wrong Bricks

All bricks are not created equal. Brick makers understand that interior bricks don’t need to weather the same abuse as exterior bricks, and thus make different types of bricks. When buying bricks, the difference between these is obvious. It becomes a problem, however, when bricks are salvaged. Inexperienced masons and do-it-yourselfers have a difficult time determining which bricks were meant for interior and exterior use.

Some brick makers even make different bricks for different climates. The Deep South is free from freeze and thaw cycles, so some brick makers decided to change the type of brick they shipped there. Since these bricks didn’t need to withstand the same type of abuse as bricks used in the North, they added sawdust to the brick mix. When the bricks were fired, the sawdust burnt away, creating a lighter, more porous brick. This saved on transportation and made it easier for masons. While this caused little problems for the South, unfortunately these bricks were soon being sold further north, where they easily crumble under the extreme temperatures.

Damage from sandblasters and pressure sprayers

An unexpected source of damage is sandblasters and high pressure sprayers. While these might make cleaning a hands free experience, they do so at the expense of your masonry. As mentioned earlier, brick is made such that the edges are hardened to prevent absorption of water. Sandblasting and even high pressure sprayers can reduce this hardened edge and allow water into your bricks, drastically reducing their lifespan.

Masonry Chimney Repair

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to fix spalled bricks. Removal of the spalled bricks and replacement with strong new bricks is necessary. If the spalling is caused by poorly calculated mortar, repointing with correct mortar may help to prevent the problem from spreading.

If you suspect your masonry might be made with bricks that can’t stand up to your weather, or if you have sandblasted or pressure sprayed your masonry, we can apply a waterproof sealant to help the longevity of the bricks.

And of course, if you notice any spalled bricks, cracks, crumbling mortar, or signs of deterioration on your masonry chimney, it’s time to contact a masonry expert right away. Ignoring masonry problems is dangerous and costly.

If you have questions about masonry repair in Northern Virginia, Washington D.C. or Maryland, we at High’s Chimney would be happy to answer any of your questions or take a look at your masonry and give you an estimate for repairs free of charge.

The post Chimney Repair Masonry Chimney Damage appeared first on Highs Chimney.

Five Reasons for Chimney Leaks and What to Do About Them

Causes of leaking chimneys can usually be narrowed down to five reasons. If your problem isn’t solved from addressing the items on this list, your leak probably isn’t from the chimney!

#1 The Simplest Cause of Chimney Leaking: Rain Going Straight In from the Top

It’s not hard to picture that. Chimneys without covers get a lot of rain falling straight down into them. A chimney cover makes sense to most people. Not only does it keep the rain out, but keeps birds, animals and debris out. The greatest value of the chimney cover is really keeping these out because when chimneys get blocked at the bottom, people get sick (or even die) from CO poisoning. While it’s true that sometimes an uncovered flue is the source of water problems, most often this reason for a leak is only when the liner is metal.

How to fix it

Get a chimney cover and have a professional make sure it’s not this simple.

#2 Many Chimney Leaks are from Cracks in the Chimney Crown

The chimney crown is the cement part on top of the chimney. The bricks go up around the tile flue liners, but at the top you need something to stop the rain and snow from just falling in around the tiles. You can see that the very purpose of the chimney crown is to keep rain out. Cracks in the chimney crown can occur from shifting of the structure or from shrinkage dating back to the first day the crown was put on. When your crown has cracks, the water goes right through those cracks.

How to fix it

How to fix a cracked crown depends upon how bad the damage is. Most crowns have small cracks. Even small ones need to be fixed because all big cracks started out as small ones. Water freezes and thaws in the cracks all winter long, year after year, forcing small cracks to eventually become big cracks. There are excellent crown coating materials such as Chimney Saver Crown Coat which cover the masonry and prevent small cracks from becoming a real problem.

Once chimney crown damage is significant, though, the only fix it is to remove and relay the masonry. You can’t put a band aid on a gushing wound and you can’t coat a structurally ruined chimney crown and expect it to work. Best to coat your crown now with Crown Coat and avoid the big hassle and expense later.

Leaky Chimney? We can fix that! If you believe that your chimney is causing damage to your home please give us a call or schedule an appointment online. We’ll be happy to help you.

#3 Chimneys Leaking From the Inside Out from Condensation

I remember a lady whose wallpaper peeled where the chimney ran through the house. She knew it was the chimney because this is the only place with wallpaper peeling. She had tried everything- a chimney cover, flashing, even rebuilt the entire top of the chimney. By the time I met her she’d spent thousands of dollars but nothing fixed it.

This was an older house with an unlined brick chimney. In 1900 when it was built that chimney carried wood or coal smoke I’m sure. Someplace along the way a gas furnace was installed, but the chimney was not lined with a properly sized liner.

How to fix it

Gas fumes are very low temperature and have a lot of moisture in them. These fumes were condensing on the inside of this too-large, too-cold old chimney, literally soaking the bricks and keeping them moist all the time. All it took was a chimney liner and we solved the problem.

#4 Chimney Flashing Causes Leaks

The flashing is what keeps water from going into the place where the brick structure comes through the roof (or otherwise comes close to the roof.) There’s a fairly large gap between the bricks and the roof and water will pour through that hole if it’s not sealed up. Flashing is often aluminum that goes in between a couple bricks and bends to go on top of the shingles. Some sort of water proof “stuff” seals those spots. Though it’s far from the best choice, the “stuff” is often tar. In any event, flashing doesn’t last forever and the tar lasts even less time.

How to fix it

There are better materials for sealing the flashing now. If you get a chimney sweep to fix your flashing, tell him you want Flash Seal by Saver Systems. (As you can see, I like Saver Systems products; but they just work well, so you can’t go wrong!) It seals better and lasts longer.

#5 Chimney Leaks Caused by Leaking Bricks

Bricks and mortar both pass water, and often lots of it. The problem here is the same as with the crown- the freezing and thawing all winter long with the resulting damage which causes leaks in the house.

You have probably heard of waterproofing a chimney, but you have to be careful about what waterproofing material to use. When water is absorbed into a brick or a mortar joint in the summer time, the water probably dries out after a while. The exceptions might be for a surface in the shade or on the side of the house where the sun never shines; those walls just stay wet. That water does try to escape by “falling” i.e. the water weight (or head pressure) carries it toward the ground where it forces its way out of the bricks either inside or outside of the house.

If you apply a waterproofing material that physically blocks the pores of the brick or mortar, the water is trapped inside the brick. Some bricks actually get soggy, though it’s more likely that the water will just seep to the inside of the house. To the point, using silicone based water sealants may trap water and cause more damage than you started with. Use polysiloxane type waterproofing agents, such as Chimney Saver by Saver Systems.

How to fix it

To find out if your chimney leaks through the masonry surface, have your sweep do a Masonry Absorption Test (MAT) This is a simple test where a special test tube is attached to the side of the chimney and you record the time it takes for water to be absorbed into the wall. This tells you if you should waterproof the chimney.

Bonus: #6 Chimney Leaks That Aren’t Chimney Leaks

Sometimes, a leak starts in a different place but finds its way to the chimney, and then visibly enters the inside of a room at the point of the chimney.

For example, your roof might have a leak through the attic vent or roof shingle at the top. Water could get into the attic or above your ceiling and either drip to the floor or roll along the stringer (the long piece of wood that spaces out the roof trusses and runs the length of your house). If the stringer is un-level, water can travel a ways – and even wind up at the chimney. It has happened, and usually isn’t discovered until people have spent a terrible sum fixing everything else.

Another event that could happen (although I have never heard of it actually happening) is that you could get so much moisture in your attic that it could condense and roll down the stringer onto your chimney. This could happen if there were some reason your attic was getting a lot of humidity in it – for example, if your dryer vented into the attic instead of out of a vent perhaps, or if your gas furnace were vented by B Vent but just dumped into the attic (which would be a severe carbon monoxide risk, incidentally).

–Need help with your chimney leak repair in Maryland, DC, or North Virginia? Call High’s!

The post Reasons Chimney Leaks appeared first on Highs Chimney.

Understanding chimney draft problems is not necessary for most people. Usually, if you notice smoke not rising from your chimney, you can call on a professional to fix the issues.

This information is for those who really like to understand; it may be too much information for many people. I’ll do my best to keep it as interesting as it can be. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer or the owner of an old home, you’ll probably get a lot of out of it.

Understanding Chimney Draft Issues

To understand the problems, you need to understand what draft is. Draft is what we name the effect of how the air flows up the chimney. It’s measured in “inches of water column.” Draft then is the combination of volume, speed, and pressure of the flue gasses. And temperature of the gasses comes into play here as well.
For matters of this discussion, chimney draft is usually thought of as the speed at which the vented gasses travel up the stack, or pressure of the gasses. This can also be referred to as the stack effect. A common question might be “how strong is the stack effect?” Good draft conditions mean that the vented gasses are traveling up the chimney quickly rather than slowly or not at all.

How Does Chimney Draft Work?

The reason smoke (or other flue gas) goes up the chimney at all is because of the vacuum in the chimney. The question you should ask now is “a vacuum relative to what?” The general answer is that it’s relative to the air in the house. Don’t read too much into that because it gets tricky (for example, how does replacement air get into the house?- because the house environment is a relative vacuum to the outside. Yet the inside of the house is not a vacuum compared to the chimney.) Let’s keep this simple and just talk about the chimney. The pressure in the chimney is typically less than that inside the house. Thus, the draft effect is caused by air inside the chimney being pushed up the chimney by the house air.

And why is there a difference in pressure in and out of the house, or in and out of the chimney? There can be a few reasons, but the biggest and most important reason is the temperature difference from one place to another. Remember that when air is heated it expands? The same amount of air occupies a larger space, or you could say the same amount of space has less air (fewer molecules of air.)

The air outside the house in the winter is colder and heavier than the warmer air in the house. It pushes its way into the house (or is it pulled, depending on how confused you want to be.) The air in the chimney just came from a fire so it’s really hot and expanded and being pushed up the chimney to the cooler air outside where warm air rises, right? That’s buoyancy. Problems occur when these processes don’t happen correctly.

Diagnosing Chimney Draft Problems

Draft is measured with a pressure meter that has a probe which goes into the smokepipe. The meter should register a negative number, and generally speaking for residential heating appliances that number would range between -0.02 to -0.04. Zero or a positive number means the gasses are not going up the chimney. And too large a negative number can have its own set of consequences; but that isn’t usually the problem. Mostly “a draft problem” means the gases are not going up the flue, this is merely a minor chimney repair.

Causes of Draft Problems

Now there are other reasons for draft problems. One is called Dynamic Wind Loading. or “DWL.” DWL is caused when the wind blows on one side of the house and causes a positive pressure, and creates a corresponding negative pressure on the other side of the house.

If the windward side of the house is tight and the lee side (negative pressure side) isn’t, the vacuum resulting from the wind can suck air out of the house. And the most likely source of that air is the chimney; it’ll pull down on the chimney, smoke and all and keep it from exiting your house! Or if a gas furnace is being vented you won’t see smoke but you still get the carbon monoxide.

The way to deal with that is to tighten up the lee side of the house and then put in an outside-air source. There are kits for that or you can just crack a window on the windward side of the house.

Chimney Draft Issues Caused by Fans

The other large reason for bad draft is when chimneys have to overcome fans in the house. Kitchen fans, bathroom fans, radon fans. It doesn’t take much of a fan to overcome a natural draft appliance (such as a fireplace or woodstove) Again, the best answer is to allow “make up air” into the house.

The problem with that of course is that you don’t want a draft across the floor and you hate to purposefully introduce freezing cold air into the very house you’re trying to heat. It’s a Catch 22, but I can tell you CO poisoning is a bad thing, and smoke in the house is a bad thing. You just may have to make some choices.

Air Flowing Down Your Chimney

Finally, sometimes air actually blows down the chimney, but less frequently than you’d guess- it’s usually something else. But maybe your chimney is short and next to a larger part of the house or a bigger building. The same problem occurs if your house is located at the base of a mountain. If you have this problem, a Vacustack is a good solution if you can’t raise the chimney to the proper height.

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