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

Waterproofing a Chimney

You have probably heard us warn you about the dangers of water penetration of your chimney. Water can cause so much damage and deterioration that the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has named water as the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys. To protect your chimney from water penetration damage, there are several preventive measures you can take, including installing a good quality chimney cap on top as well as a customized flashing system around your chimney where it meets the roof. However, the best investment you can make to prevent water penetration of your chimney is to schedule a professional waterproofing treatment from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. We are proud to offer this chimney maintenance service, and you can trust the ChimneySaver products we use to protect your chimney from water penetration. We would like to tell you more about the kind of damage water can do, along with what you can expect from our waterproofing service.

Waterproofing a Chimney - Jackson MS - Santas Friend ChimneyHow can water damage my chimney so badly?

Water penetration can seriously deteriorate the masonry materials of your chimney. The bricks and mortar that your chimney is constructed from are very porous and naturally absorb water. Extensive damage can occur when the water that is absorbed and trapped inside these masonry materials freezes and expands in the winter. As this water thaws, it causes the bricks and mortar joints to crack and break apart. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles can lead to bricks and mortar joints falling out of the chimney, which can lead to serious structural problems. Not only does water cause this type of damage, but it can also cause rusting damage to the metal components of your chimney, including the liner and damper. Sometimes, water can even leak into your home to create water stains in the ceilings and walls.

What can I expect from a waterproofing treatment from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service?

Before our CSIA-certified chimney technicians apply the waterproofing treatment to your chimney, we will examine your chimney to see what type of formula we will use. Generally we use a water-based formula, but if you have had a waterproofing treatment done in the past, we will have to use a solvent-based formula. After we clean the bricks with brushes, we will then apply a coating of this water repellent formula to your entire chimney. This 100% vapor-permeable waterproofing formula will create a barrier against water penetration of your chimney, while still allowing vapors to escape from the bricks and mortar. This environmentally-friendly product will resist mildew, mold, and fungus and reduce water penetration by 99.9 percent. You will also receive a 10-year warranty, which means the bricks and mortar of your chimney will be protected from water leaks for a decade.

Prolong the life of your masonry chimney. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for our waterproofing services today.

By Jim Robinson on March 25th, 2016 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Lengthening Your Chimney’s Life

If you take proper care of your chimney, it will last you more years than you expected. Adhere to the guidelines.

If you take proper care of your chimney, it will last you more years than you expected. Adhere to the guidelines.

There is an estimated average life expectancy for chimneys. We’d like to think that once we have ours installed and fully functional, then it would last until we become grandparents. But it doesn’t really work that way. The lifetime of each chimney depends on the various materials used. For instance, the mortar that’s used for the walls of the chimney has an estimated life expectancy of about 25 years while the plasters and paint used for waterproofing only lasts 3 to 5 years.

So, we at Santa’s Friend Chimney have decided to put together a short guideline to help you and every other homeowner out there looking to prolong the lifetime of their chimneys.

Chimney Inspection

First things first, it is important to have your chimney inspected. Having regular scheduled inspections allows you to be well-informed and updated as to the standing and status of your chimney. If it is important for us to have our regular trip to the doctor, then it is equally important for you to have your chimney inspected.

Chimney Sweeping

Next, you need to have your chimney regularly swept. As we all are well aware, the chimney is prone to a lot of external contaminations. These contaminations (such as leaves, animal droppings and rainfall) if left unattended would accumulate and could lead to a lot of damage.

Waterproofing

Another thing of utmost importance is for us to waterproof our chimneys. Water is one of the deadliest elements and is one of the biggest threats to your chimney’s life. Once water gets inside of your chimney, it then dampens the area and creates an environment that is highly optimal for mold growth. And we all know what happens once molds start to grow. It means hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs or replacements. So in order to avoid this huge mess from happening, it is best to waterproof your chimneys. Consider installing a chimney cap.

Chimney Repairs and Restorations

Lastly, it is important not to skip out on necessary repairs and restorations. Every little repair, replacement or restoration that is advised after your inspection is important and should be done as soon as possible. Prolonging repairs could lead to further damage and bigger expenses. And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?

It’s true that our chimneys have their own expiration dates. But if we follow these simple guidelines, then we can rest assured we are doing all we can to extend both performance and functionality of our chimney.

Keep the Water Out

Keep A Focus On Keeping Water Out Of Your Chimney

Along with having your chimney inspected every year and making regular chimney sweeping appointments to stay ahead of creosote, taking precautions to fight off encroaching water is one of the most important things you can do to keep your chimney system trouble-free.

Call us today and lets start making sure your chimney is working at its optimal level.

Call us today and lets start making sure your chimney is working at its optimal level.

A healthy amount of the time, when Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is called in with a chimney repair need, water is the culprit behind the damage. That’s partly because water can so easily take advantage of even the smallest chink in your chimney’s armor, slipping into the tiniest crack or gap and then, during cold snaps, expanding as it freezes and making a small problem into a big one. The fact that moisture is almost omnipresent in Central Mississippi doesn’t help either — moisture, over time, can just wear at masonry and metal.

But something to consider, too, is prevention. A lot of times, we don’t think about moisture’s effects on our chimney system until we’re dealing with a leak. But a few key things can help you minimize leaks and moisture damage — or even avoid them altogether.

Make Sure You Have A Properly Sized And Installed Chimney Cap

A chimney cap isn’t just adornment (though it does make a chimney look nicer and more finished). It helps to keep precipitation from coming directly into your flue opening, and slowly wearing away at the flue liner or masonry. If your cap is damaged or missing, Santa’s Friend can install a new chimney cap that’ll bring much-needed protection to your flue.

Consider Chimney Waterproofing

We highly recommend Chimney Saver’s chimney waterproofing sealant. It stops water from penetrating your masonry, but still allows that masonry to expel vapors from its interior, as it was designed to. That protection not only helps you avoid leaks, but adds to your masonry’s longevity too (and in that, minimizes your headaches). Santa’s Friend techs can tell you more about this product, and apply it to your chimney.

Remember When We Mentioned Chimney Inspections?

Keeping up with your annual inspections is key to minimizing chimney leak problems. It’s not uncommon for the parts of your system designed to fend off water — like the chimney crown at the top of your flue or the flashing installed where the chimney and the roofline meet — to develop small imperfections. Your crown may crack under the strain of sun and rain, and the caulking around your flashing can loosen or come off. When you have your chimney inspected regularly, Santa’s Friend can catch those small issues before they get worse, and make the repairs to avoid a serious leak.

If you have any worries about moisture getting into your chimney, call Santa’s Friend. We’re always here to help with information, service, repairs, installations — anything you might need for the care and maintenance of your chimney system.