Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Fixing Your Leaky Chimney

We all know that your car tires can leak, right? If your umbrella leaks, you’ll know it really quickly by your wet head. Another trouble area is your chimney. Unfortunately, even though this structure is built to last, over time it can develop areas that cause leaks. This may end up as structural damage and big repair bills. It’s time to be proactive: give Santa’s Friend Chimney Service a call today and you’ll soon have a leak-free chimney!

Just like with a leaky tire or a leaky umbrella, there are signs that your chimney has a leak. Look around your fireplace: if you see peeling and stained wallpaper or a water stained ceiling, it could be that your chimney has a leak. Not only does this look unsightly in your home, but it also signals that there is damage that needs to be repaired. It’s important to catch the cause of the leak and to fix it early. In addition, along with any damage that has occurred, before it leads to bigger problems later on!

Leaks in your chimney cause more than just cosmetic damage to your home. Your chimney can actually have structural damage! Leak damage can include: deteriorating firebox assembly, rotting wood in your home, rotting wall coverings, rusted dampers, and even structural instability of the chimney itself. Of course, the worst of these is structural damage. This is because the chimney is such an important part of your fireplace structure. The chimney is where the byproducts of your fire are directed and released into the atmosphere, instead of into your home. Unfortunately, if there is structural damage, you could have an improper release of fumes. Consequently, this could lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide inside your home.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be released when the wood you burn isn’t burned completely. The reason that carbon monoxide is so harmful? It displaces the oxygen in your blood; in fact, your body will reject oxygen and take in the carbon monoxide instead. When this happens, your heart, brain, and other organs are being deprived of the oxygen they need to keep you living!

Stay Safe!

It’s easy to see the damage that could occur if you leave chimney leaks that aren’t repaired. Not only can you have damage that looks bad, but some of the damage could put your family at risk. Let the experts at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service inspect and clean your chimney. They’ll be able to detect and repair any damage that leaks have caused. Not to mention, your chimney will be cleaned as well! Don’t put your family at risk when a solution is just a phone call away!

Fix Your Leaky Chimney This Summer

Now that spring is here, things will green up and smell fresh and sweet. Why? Because spring is rainy season! One thing that may become apparent now that it’s raining more often is that you have a leaky chimney. That’s definitely not a welcome discovery. On the bright side, summer is the perfect time to get your chimney repaired.

Signs of a Leaky Chimney

First off, it’s important that you recognize signs that your chimney might be leaking. In the interior of your home: if you notice that your ceiling or your walls are water stained, these could be signs that your chimney is leaky. On the outside of your house: if the mortar or the bricks are crumbly or look like they’re decaying, this could also be caused by water damage.

Unfortunately, there might also be damage that isn’t as easy to see. Damage to the interior of your chimney. If there’s interior damage from water leaks, you’ll need to call in the professionals like at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. A professional chimney inspector will be able to determine if your metal or masonry firebox assembly is damaged. Also, if your damper assembly is rusty, or if your hearth support is weakened. A leaky chimney could also cause a deteriorated central heating system. All these things could mean big repair bills.

Causes of Leaks

There are many things that might be causing your chimney leaks. However, the biggest problem is usually the sheet metal flashing. This is important because the sheet metal flashing is what keeps the intersections between the chimney and the roof tight and leak-free. Maybe your flashing has just been affected by normal wear and tear. Perhaps it wasn’t installed right in the first place. If this is what’s causing your leaks, you’ll want to call in CSIA certified experts to come in and repair it.

Another cause of a leaky chimney? You don’t have a chimney cap or a chimney crown, or that your chimney cap or crown is cracked. A chimney cap keeps the rain out of the inside of your chimney and a chimney crown keeps rain off the exterior of your chimney. Both of these are very important for the health of your chimney. Again, call in the experts to check out your chimney cap and crown. Let them determine whether these need to be repaired or replaced.

Call in the Experts

When you have a leaky chimney, you need to take it seriously. This is definitely not a do-it-yourself job. You’ll want a thorough inspection and expert advice. The best company for this job is Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. They not only offer quality repair jobs, but they can inspect, clean, waterproof, and re-line your chimney. That’s only a few of the things they can do. Give them a call or check out the website today, and say good-bye to worrying about your chimney leaks!