Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Leaky Chimneys and the Damage They Cause

If there is a number one enemy of your masonry chimney, it would have to be water. When the bricks and mortar are exposed to water for a prolonged amount of time, they will deteriorate and erode rapidly. Even more damage occurs when moisture is trapped inside the masonry of your chimney and the temperatures drop below freezing. Rust can also occur on parts of your chimney, and this can cause them to weaken and be destroyed. The majority of this damage requires essential repairs that can end up costing you lots of money. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we strongly feel that preventing water penetration is one of the most important maintenance tasks for homeowners with chimneys. We would like to tell you more about exactly what kind of damage can be caused by chimney leaks and which ways you can prevent water penetration from even happening to your masonry chimney.

Water Penetration Damage Possibilities

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), water penetration can cause the following damage to your masonry chimney and your home:

• rusted and deteriorated damper and firebox assemblies, fireplace accessories, and glass doors
• rotting wood adjacent to your fireplace and chimney
• water stained walls and ceilings
• stained chimney exterior
• decayed exterior mortar and spalled bricks
• cracked or deteriorated flue lining system
• collapsed hearth support
• chimney settlement
• tilted or collapsed chimney structure

Ways To Prevent Leaky Chimneys

There are several essential repairs needed to stop water penetration as well as ways you can prevent any water leaks in the future, including:

• repair or replace a damaged chimney cap – Chimney caps sit on top of your chimney’s opening and protect it from water penetration and animal invasions. The most inexpensive water penetration prevention measure, chimney caps have long been known as an important chimney safety and damage prevention part of a chimney system.
• repair deteriorated mortar joints – Mortar joints should have no gaps or missing mortar and should be shaped in a way that will direct water out of the joint. When water penetrates mortar joints, they become soft and erode quickly. When this occurs, your exterior chimney should be repointed to repair the deteriorated joints and keep the water out.
• repair or install custom flashing – The seal between the roofing materials and the chimney, a customized and properly-fitted flashing system keeps water from penetrating your chimney’s interior. If your chimney is located on the slope of your roof, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can add a cricket to the flashing to direct rain and snow away from your chimney and to keep the water from intruding.
• waterproofing – Using a 100% vapor permeable formula, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can apply this waterproofing formula to the masonry work of your chimney. The formula we use keeps water from getting in and allows water vapors to escape your bricks and mortar, which gives you the ultimate protection from water leaks.

Have you noticed any signs of chimney leaks or water penetration damage? Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment to repair these leaks and damage and then to protect your chimney from future water penetration.

The Importance of Using A CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep

When you are looking for a professional chimney sweep company, you should always be sure the company is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), as we are at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. This certification is so important because this credential is the industry standard and ensures you receive the highest quality service possible when working with a chimney sweeping company. We would like to tell you more about the CSIA and what their certification means so that you can understand the importance of only working with CSIA-certified chimney sweeps.

What Is the CSIA?

Founded in 1983, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education of the safety of chimney and venting systems. Dedicated to preventing and eliminating the hazards and dangers of chimney fires, carbon monoxide leaks, and other issues, the CSIA devotes many resources to inform the public, chimney professionals, and fire prevention specialists on how to reduce and correct problems in chimney and venting systems. Providing the only certification program in the chimney and venting system industry, the CSIA is truly the professional standard.

What Is the CSIA-Certification Process?

To receive certification from the CSIA, an employee or an owner must attend a six-day program at its training center at the headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Combining classroom training at the technology training center with hands-on experience in homes the course provides over 30 hours of experience using the tools of the trade and working with different venting systems. After the completion of this program, most participants will receive the credential of being a CSIA-certified Chimney Sweep after passing certification exams.

What Are the Different Topics Covered in the CSIA-Certification Program?

During the six-day program, students will learn:

• how to inspect and service chimney systems of all fuel types
• about the different home heating appliances, including pellet stoves, wood stoves, inserts, factory-built fireplaces, furnaces, and central heaters
• the standards of the National Fire Prevention Association 211
• how to navigate the International Residential Codes, chimney performance problems, understanding draft and flow, diagnosing drown drafts, flow reversals, inadequate flow, stack effects, updrafts, pressure effects, and gauges
• safety and health equipment and methods.

What If I Cannot Travel to Indianapolis to Attend the CSIA-Certification Program?

There is an alternative to taking the in-person program. CSIA also provides an online training session that people can take at home whenever convenient for them.

What Are the Other Steps to Becoming CSIA-Certified?

After completing the in-person or online training session, participants must pass an one-hour exam based on the CSIA textbook Successful Chimney Sweeping 2011 and NFPA 211 2013 and a 90-minute open book exam based on the 2006 International Residential Codes. After passing these exams, candidates must agree to pay the annual certification fee and sign the CSIA Code of Ethics.

You can depend on CSIA-certified chimney sweeps to do the best professional job possible. Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule your annual chimney cleaning with our CSIA-certified sweeps.