If you are like many home owners, the condition of your home is a top priority on your “to do” lists. Many tasks such as painting, lawn work, and house cleaning is simple enough for many home owners. What happens when you encounter problems with your chimney and it requires some chimney repair? Many home owners might simply call their local handy man. The problem is that for some reason, chimney repairs can be quite difficult to properly diagnose.

The most frustrating chimney repair home owners encounter is leaking chimneys. Chimneys can potential leak at several areas including the chimney crown, chimney cap, chimney roof flashing, corbelling, chase cover and can even soak water into the chimney by porous bricks. Many times roofers blame leaks on the chimney and handy men blame leaks on leaking roofs. The truth is that each case may have different reasons why the chimney leaks and it literally take years of experience to know what causes these leaks. This is why the chimney repair business can be a specialized profession. The more experience you have with chimneys, the more likely you can correctly diagnose the proper chimney repair.

Another common chimney repair is a damaged chimney liner. Many times a chimney liner can be damaged by the thermal shock of a chimney fire. Other times lightning can strike the top of your chimney. If a home owner is not home during a thunder storm, they might not even know their chimney was struck by lightning. Chimney liners can be repaired by replacement of flue tiles or the installation of a new stainless steel chimney liner. Many times the cost associated with the replacement of a chimney liner due to a lightning strike or chimney fire is covered by your home owners insurance policy. I guess the insurance industry would rather pay for the cost of a new chimney liner than a new home.

If your chimney is in need of repair, call the chimney experts at A Step in Time Chimney Sweeps. Chimney repair is what we do.

Common Chimney repairs:

The chimney crown is the gray mortar that surrounds the flue. This mortar is designed to keep water from going down the chimney between the exterior brick and the terracotta flue tiles. Since the flue tile is exposed to open air, rain can fall down the interior portions of the chimney. Place your mouse pointer over the picture to see how we repair these issues with a chimney cap and a new flexible crown.