Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

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!

By Jim Robinson on April 18th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Animals and Your Chimney Crown

Animals don’t just move into your chimney flue for a warm place to live. They also find their way underneath your chimney crown. Call us today if you think critters might be up in your chimney. The damage they do can be very expensive!

Animals Living Under the Chimney Crown - Jackson MS

By Jim Robinson on July 30th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Don’t Ignore These 3 Chimney Repairs

Neglecting chimney repairs can lead to serious structural damage as well to possible health hazards to you and your family. While you may believe you’re saving money by ignoring chimney repairs, you’re actually going to have to spend more in the long run when these small, but ignored issues develop into larger, impossible-to-ignore problems. We at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can perform both minor and major chimney repairs in an economical and efficient manner.

3 Chimney Repairs - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney

According to the Chimney Institute of America (CSIA), water leaks are the main cause of most chimney repairs; in their words, “water is the biggest enemy of your chimney.” The following water-related repairs are ones you should never ignore, as doing so could cause irreparable damage.

1. Spalling bricks and mortar

If you notice spalling, the breaking and chipping away of masonry materials due to water penetration, on your chimney’s exterior, you should seek immediate help from a certified professional. Water is absorbed into the porous brick and mortar over the years. The greatest cause of spalling is the freeze-thaw cycle; water inside your bricks and mortar freeze in the cold winter months (which causes it to expand) and thaws when temperatures warm (which allows the bricks to contract), which causes them to break apart.

The certified sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service have the expertise to repair spalling bricks and crumbling mortar. Once we’ve restored your chimney to its original condition, we can apply a 100% vapor permeable waterproofing formula to your chimney, which will let the byproducts of combustion escape yet prevent water from entering.

2. A damaged chimney crown and cap

Sitting on the very top of your chimney, chimney crowns and caps are the best protection from rainwater coming into your chimney; however, if either is cracked, deteriorated, and/or damaged, your chimney is open and more susceptible to water whenever it rains or snows. Because of the critical job they perform, damaged chimney crowns and caps most definitely need to be repaired or replaced sooner than later.

We can take care of your chimney cap and crown needs (be it repair or replacement) and can customize them to precisely fit the top of your chimney.

3. A cracked chimney flue liner

Water penetrating your chimney can also cause damage—chipping away, rusting or breaking—to your flue liner, depending on which type of liner you have. A damaged flue liner can be very hazardous to your health and creates a definite fire hazard as well; your flue liner’s main job is to keep the toxic byproducts of combustion, smoke and carbon monoxide, out of your home. Cracks and/or holes in the liner prevent the chimney from successfully performing its job duties, putting you and your family at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers relining and replacement options for your damaged flue liner. HeatShield can be used for a flue liner that is not damaged beyond repair, whereas a stainless steel liner can be used to replace a liner that is damaged beyond repair.

No doubt, the best and surest way to know if anything is wrong with your chimney system is to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection. Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment; our CSIA-certified sweeps will evaluate everything to determine what, if any, repairs are necessary.

By Jim Robinson on July 28th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment