Sauk Trail Beach Chimney Repairs Needed? It’s Not Hard to Identify the Symptoms

Proof that a Sauk Trail Beach home’s chimney requires repairs isn’t difficult to identify.

Bricks, or chips from bricks, on the ground next to the chimney. Discoloration of remaining bricks in the structure. Obvious gaps between bricks. Efflorescence – a white, chalky powder – coating your Sauk Trail Beach chimney’s exterior.

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

Each indicator might have a different cause. Waiting to act isn’t smart, though. Complications can rapidly worsen. The first step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Sauk Trail Beach.

The commonality in nearly every chimney problem is water. Sometimes the cause is cracked or damaged flue tiles inside the chimney, which permit moisture to escape into the chimney cavity. If a water heater vents into the chimney, the issue 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 major warnings. Sauk Trail Beach rains can directly get inside the chimney cavity, making a bad situation 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 generally stops internal moisture issues. The harm 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’ standard five-year warranty, guaranteeing a decade of protection from the elements.

If the source of water leakage is a damaged 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 deteriorated, 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 Sauk Trail Beach neighbors can expect scaffolding to be put up, or a temporary rooftop construction station built.

The chimney is rebuilt 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 below. Your new chimney is as attractive as it is functional!

If you identify symptoms of a failing chimney, what’s the problem … 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 appear!