Fort Atkinson Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Hard to Find the Warnings

Indication that a Fort Atkinson home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t difficult to find.

Bricks, or chips from bricks, on the ground next to the chimney. Staining of remaining bricks in the structure. Noticeable gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – on your Fort Atkinson chimney’s exterior.

Inside the house, staining or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a warning, too.

Each sign might have a different cause. Hesitating to act isn’t advisable, though. Complications can rapidly worsen. The initial step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Fort Atkinson.

The underlying source in almost every chimney issue is water. Often the culprit is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which allow moisture to escape into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the situation can be far worse. Either way, problems start once moisture has direct contact with masonry.

Gaps in a chimney – from absent bricks, or failed mortar joints – are serious warnings. Fort Atkinson rains can directly penetrate inside the chimney cavity, making a bad scenario far worse.

The first step is to address root causes. If flue tiles have lost their structural integrity, putting in a stainless steel chimney liner typically stops internal moisture problems. The damage to the chimney remains, though.

Tuckpointing - grinding out and replacing deteriorated mortar – is occasionally all that’s involved. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ normal five-year warranty, promising a decade of protection from the elements.

If the source of water leakage is a cracked chimney crown, two options exist. A stainless steel chimney cap can be mounted atop the crown, forming an “umbrella” over the chimney. Or, if the crown is too damaged, a new one is poured.

If a chimney is beyond recovery, a full or partial rebuild is in line. A masonry project runs three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Fort Atkinson neighbors can expect scaffolding to be erected, or a temporary rooftop construction station built.

The chimney is reconstructed with fresh bricks and new mortar to building code height. Butler Chimneys works to match colors of new bricks to originals; bricks can be stained, if needed.

A new 5-inch-thick concrete crown is poured on top. The crown features a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney beneath. Your new chimney is as beautiful as it is functional!

If you detect indicators of a deteriorating chimney, what’s the issue … and the remedy? Only inspection by a qualified chimney company can find the answers. Time, though, is of the essence – contact Butler Chimneys before more (or worse) symptoms show up!