Solve Your Leaky Chimney Issues

Chimney leaks are no fun. Not only can they cause offensive odors to enter your home through the flue, they can begin a cycle of masonry deterioration that leads to unsafe operating conditions.

National Chimney Service works throughout Morris County NJ and Fairfield County CT to provide licensed chimney crown repair and leak resolution. If your chimney is leaking (and even if it isn’t), here are some things you should know.

What Causes Chimneys to Leak?

There are several things that can cause a leaky chimney. These include:

• Old, decaying bricks that absorb water
• Crumbling mortar
• Lightning strikes
• Pounding hail storms
• Earthquakes and major house-settling
• Cracks in the chimney crown
• Warped or missing chimney flashing
• A damaged or nonexistent chimney cap

All these conditions & events and more can make your chimney leak and begin a cycle of damage that only gets worse over time.

How to Know if Your Chimney Is Leaking

Some chimney leak signs are obvious:

• Water dripping into the firebox
• Offensive musty odors coming from the fireplace
• Damp patches on walls and the ceiling near the fireplace/chimney

Other signals don’t indicate a current leak but may point to one in the future. Masonry damage is a key signal to watch for. When mortar joints begin to crumble and bricks begin to crack or become dislodged, it’s a sure sign your in for an upcoming chimney leak.

Leak-Detection through Inspection

A chimney inspection is the best way to know why your chimney is leaking, why it may start leaking in the near future and how to reverse the problem.

Our trained chimney inspectors will look closely at all areas of your chimney and fireplace system to spot early signs of damage that could lead to a leaky chimney issue. We’ll discover the source of the leak and share our findings with you. We’ll then perform whatever repairs are needed to resolve the situation.

Worst-Case Scenarios with Chimney Leaks

If left unattended, a small chimney leak can progress and cause a variety of serious problems.

• Chimney that leans to one side and is falling apart
• Chimney liner damage, opening the interior masonry and your home to rotting and decay and possibly a fire
• Mold outbreaks in areas of your home you can’t see
• Seepage into your home of harmful combustion gases including deadly carbon monoxide
• Collapsed chimney that damages the roof and requires complete rebuilding

Fortunately, these worst-case scenarios are almost 100% preventable with proper chimney maintenance. The two most important maintenance activities every homeowner should schedule include:

Annual chimney inspections to keep informed about the condition of your chimney and know what repairs are needed.

Annual chimney sweeping to remove flammable and corrosive creosote from your flue; also to remove outside debris that inhibits drafting.

National Chimney Service provides expert chimney inspection and repair services throughout Morris County NJ and Fairfield County CT including Bridgeport CT, Jefferson NJ, Stamford CT, Morristown NJ, and all other local cities and towns.

Put 20 years of hands-on experience to work for your chimney today. Call us in NJ at (973) 270-9295 or CT at (203) 614-9765.