by Mark Hudson | Nov 20, 2016 | Water Damage And Chimneys
Humidity and seasonal weather in Northeast Florida continually brings moisture to Florida homes. This moisture can be a problem for your chimney if it isn’t adequately waterproofed to safeguard against water penetration. Once it happens, the damage is immediate. Even a small amount of water in your chimney can cause damage. Plus, it can also lower efficiency and raise the risk of flue fire.
The Usual Suspects
When it comes to water in your chimney, there are a few culprits that your chimney sweep will check first. Common sites for water penetration include:
- The Chimney Cap
Whether it’s missing, damaged, or improperly placed, the chimney cannot do its job if it isn’t in proper working order. The chimney cap keeps weather out of your chimney. It allows the vapors to escape safely.
- The Chimney Crown
The chimney crown is essentially the top of the chimney. It closes off the opening from the flue liner, to the edge of the chimney. In addition, it has an overhang for water to run off onto the roof. Over time, even a well constructed chimney crown can become cracked and worn, resulting in water penetration.
- The Flashing
The flashing is made up of multiple layers of thin metal sheets, strategically placed to prevent water penetration at the intersection of the chimney and roof. This is an extremely vulnerable point in the roof and chimney system. It is often the culprit behind chimney leaks, because homeowners attempt to install flashing themselves, or hire an amateur. Flashing should be installed by an experienced technician. Only a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) is trained to place flashing according to roof materials, slant, and climate. These all should be a factor when installing flashing.
If you are concerned that your chimney may be leaking, do not delay.
Schedule a chimney inspection with Hudson Chimney and you can be confident in a company that is licensed and insured. We send a CSIA certified chimney sweep out on every job. Our technicians are experts at damage assessment, and will provide you with a detailed report. Also, we will work with homeowners with a repair plan. In doing so, it will get your chimney back to work in no time.
At Hudson Chimney, we are native to the Jacksonville, FL area. We know it’s important to protect masonry against water damage. That’s why we will not only repair the damage caused by water, but will also stop it at the source.
If a chimney cap is what you need, we will install one.
We even specialize in custom caps. If your chimney crown is damaged or worn, a Hudson Chimney technician can apply a protective sealant. In addition, we can cast a new custom, mortar crown for your chimney. We also repair and install flashing swiftly and correctly, every time. We don’t stop there, though. Our chimney sweeps can apply an industrial waterproofing sealant to your chimney, which will prevent water penetration, but allow vapors to escape as needed. This is a simple procedure that can be completed in a routine appointment and can save you in repair costs later.
Find out more about chimney leaks here and contact us, a certified chimney sweep you can trust, today!
by Mark Hudson | Jan 10, 2016 | Water Damage And Chimneys, Winter Maintenance
Here in the Jacksonville, Florida area, we are fortunate to enjoy moderate winters, but even though we do not have to deal with much ice and snow, we do have quite a bit of rain during this season. As we have mentioned before, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has named water as the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys. Water from rainfall can cause quite a bit of expensive damage to your chimney, including the collapse of its structure. Hudson Chimney has been repairing leaky chimneys over the past 30 years, and we have seen some truly horrible damage done to the bricks and mortar of chimneys. Not only do we fix chimney leaks, but we also offer a few preventive services to keep water out of chimneys. We are here to help you get your chimney ready for a wet winter so you can avoid expensive chimney repairs from water damage.
Chimney Cap Installation
An essential component of a chimney and venting system, a chimney cap keeps water from rain and melted snow out of your chimney. Without a cap, your chimney is a big hole on the top of your house. You would never leave your doors and windows open during a rainstorm, would you? Hudson Chimney can help you pick out the perfect chimney cap and professionally install it to protect your chimney from water penetration. Not only will a chimney cap keep water out of your chimney, but it will also prevent birds and animals from making a home out of your chimney. Chimney caps also keep sparks from jumping out of the top of a chimney that can ignite an accidental fire, and some types of caps can improve chimney draft problems.
Flashing
Consisting of metal sheeting, flashing wraps around the base of the chimney to keep water from entering at the point of where the chimney meets the roof. Our CSIA-certified chimney technicians will take precise measurements of your chimney to create a flashing system to protect your chimney from water penetration. We also can make repairs if your existing flashing system is damaged.
Waterproofing
To create a barrier against water penetration, Hudson Chimney provides waterproofing services. We feel that waterproofing is one of the best ways to prolong the life of your chimney. Our chimney technicians will start this service by cleaning the exterior of your chimney and then apply a layer of ChimneySaver’s Water Repellant, a 100% vapor permeable formula. This means no water will be able to penetrate into the bricks and mortar of your chimney, but any water vapors already trapped inside these masonry materials will be able to escape.
Prevention is always easier and less expensive than repairing damage. Contact us at Hudson Chimney to make an appointment for us to get your chimney ready for the wet winter.
by Mark Hudson | Dec 13, 2015 | Water Damage And Chimneys
Since your chimney extends from your roof, it is exposed to all of the elements of weather, including rain and snow. While masonry chimneys are built to last the lifetime of a house, this constant exposure to water from rain and melted snow can cause damage and deterioration to a chimney, especially if it is neglected. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) claims that water is the biggest enemy of a masonry chimney and recommends regular maintenance to prevent expensive repairs due to water penetration damage and deterioration. Hudson Chimney would like to tell you more about how water damages your chimney and how we can help prevent this damage and deterioration.
How can water damage my chimney?
According to the CSIA, all of the masonry materials that are used to build a chimney can suffer from accelerated damage after being exposed to water for a long period of time. Water causes the bricks and mortar to erode, and during the winter when the temperature drops below freezing, any water that has been absorbed into the bricks and mortar will freeze and expand. When the weather warms up, this water will thaw and cause the masonry materials to crack and break apart. This type of damage is also known as spalling, and if left unrepaired, it can lead to bricks and pieces of mortar falling from the chimney as well as the collapse of the entire structure. If water leaks into a chimney, it can also cause rusting damage to the liner, damper, and other metal components, and it can even damage the interior of your home by staining ceilings and walls.
How can Hudson Chimney protect my chimney from water damage?
Our CSIA-certified chimney technicians have several ways to prevent water penetration of your chimney: chimney caps, flashing, and waterproofing.
Called the least expensive way to prevent water penetration of a chimney, a chimney cap keeps water from even entering into your chimney. We have several different types of caps, and our chimney experts can help you find the perfect cap for your chimney and install the cap to completely cover the opening. Chimney caps have other benefits as well, including keeping birds and animals out of the chimney and preventing hot embers and sparks from jumping out of the chimney to ignite an accidental fire. We also have chimney caps that can help improve the draft in your chimney if you have problems with backdrafting.
Consisting of pieces of metal, flashing wraps around your chimney where it meets the roof to keep water from getting in at that point. In our years of working on chimneys, we have seen inadequate flashing systems that are coming apart and actually let water enter into the chimney. We construct customized flashing systems to completely protect your chimney from water penetration. We also work with state-licensed roofers to ensure the flashing fits correctly along the roof.
Using a 100% vapor permeable formula, our chimney technicians can waterproof your chimney by applying a coat of this formula to your entire chimney. We use ChimneySaver products that are designed especially for chimneys. This formula provides a barrier on your masonry chimney that keeps water from leaking into the bricks and mortar but allows fumes and vapors to easily escape so that they do not become trapped to cause further damage.
Protect your chimney from water damage this winter. Contact us at Hudson Chimney to schedule an appointment for one of our water penetration prevention services.
