If you have noticed a musty smell around your fireplace, chances are you have a chimney leak. Other signs of leaking include water dripping in your firebox, molding or peeling ceiling paper or paint, molding or peeling wallpaper around your fireplace, or weak trim boards around your fireplace. If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to give Chimney Doctors of Colorado a call at 303-838-3009 to set up an appointment.
Our professionals can come in and diagnose the source of your leak and offer solutions. With a leaky chimney, you need to address it immediately. Not addressing chimney leaks only means more money you need to spend for repairs and more headaches as you get it repaired.
Sources of Leaks
Most chimney leaks are usually damaged mortar or brick caused by the freeze-thaw cycle. Colorado winters are cold, and when the moisture sits in the pores of the bricks and the mortar freezes, it expands to make those pores bigger. As this cycle repeats itself, it causes big gaps that allow water to leak through your chimney. This can also cause structural instability.
Another source of leaks is a cracked or damaged chimney cap or chimney crown. These chimney components are the first lines of defense against precipitation for your chimney, as well as helping to keep birds and animals out. If there are cracks on your masonry chimney due to weathering or settling, precipitation can easily leak through to cause damage to the interior of your chimney.
The Most Vulnerable Part
Flashing is another common area of your chimney for leaks to occur. It’s hard to get a good seal on the joints of any building project. This is especially true to the joint where the chimney meets the roof, the flashing. Flashing is the metal strips that cover this junction. It is layered and staggered so that it creates an effective shield to direct water towards the edge of the roof rather than your home. Flashing can be torn by high winds or cracked from weathering, and this then can cause chimney leaks.
Controlling Leaks
If you suspect that you have chimney leaks, give us a call soon. At Chimney Doctors of Colorado, our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified experts have been trained to detect signs of leakage and get to the source of it. We have the proper tools to repair your flashing and chimney cap or crown. We can also perform tuckpointing for damaged mortar or other repair work to help your chimney be leak free. Give us a call at 303-838-3009 now!