Saylesville Chimney Repairs Required? It’s Not Difficult to Find the Warnings

Evidence that a Saylesville home’s chimney needs repairs isn’t difficult to spot.

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

Inside a home, discoloration or efflorescence inside the fireplace is a red flag, too.

Each sign might have a different cause. Hesitating to act isn’t smart, though. Problems can quickly worsen. The first step is a chimney and fireplace inspection by Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Saylesville.

The underlying source in almost every chimney problem is water. Often the cause 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 issue can be far worse. Either way, problems begin when moisture has direct contact with masonry.

Gaps in a chimney – from missing bricks, or compromised mortar joints – are serious warnings. Saylesville rains can directly penetrate inside the chimney cavity, making a bad scenario far worse.

The initial step is to confront 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 needed. Adding optional ChimneySaver water repellent tacks five years onto Butler Chimneys’ normal five-year warranty, guaranteeing 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 deteriorated, a new one is poured.

If a chimney is beyond recovery, a full or partial rebuild is in order. A masonry project takes three to five days; for appliance chimneys, usually one day. You and your Saylesville 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 employs a 2-inch overhang to keep water off the new chimney below. Your new chimney is as beautiful as it is functional!

If you identify indicators of a deteriorating 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 additional (or worse) symptoms appear!