Tsawwassen CHIMNEY REPAIR FLASHING CEMENT RAIN CAPS

Your fireplace is supposed to be the place where you build nice, warm fires. It’s certainly no place for water!  Water is a chimney’s worst enemy. There is no overstating how much damage moisture and water penetration will do to a chimney. 

Sometimes you find out you have a leak because you can see the water coming down your chimney. It’s a frustrating and dirty problem to have. Other times, you don’t even know that water is getting in — yet, deep inside the walls of your chimney, water is penetrating your masonry structure, causing cracks, gaps, bad odors, vegetation growth and all sorts of problems. It can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair this damage. To identify these issues early on, we highly recommend scheduling a professional chimney leak inspection.

Water leaks can be notoriously difficult to track down. This is where a professional chimney expert like us can help. The most common sources of chimney leaks are:

• Rainwater coming in due to a missing or damaged chimney cap
• Chimney flashing that has been damaged or incorrectly installed
• Condensation – chimneys can leak from the inside out due to condensation
• Rainwater coming in due to a damaged or missing crown

All of the parts of the chimney system are important, and they work together for the good of the chimney. If one of these parts is deteriorating, damaged, missing altogether, or improperly installed, the entire chimney suffers and is left vulnerable. What many people often forget is that a damaged chimney is a serious source of danger and should not be neglected. The chimney plays a vital role in the structure of the home and should be treated accordingly.

Although annual inspections are crucial to leak identification, there are some common signs of water penetration that you can be on the lookout for:

• Brick discoloration
• Vegetation
• White patches/streaks
• Crumbling or cracking brick and mortar
• Damp odors
• Water in the firebox
• Water damage on walls/ceilings/floors surrounding chimney
• Rust stains

 Many leaks stem from an issue with the chimney. We have the knowledgeable and qualified to identify the problem — we will find the leak and trace it back to the point of origin. In some cases, there may be more than one item or location causing the problem. However, we deal with leaks every day (after all, we love working in Tsawwassen!) and we understand how to solve even the trickiest water problems. Once we have inspected your chimney and understand the source or sources of your leak, we will give you a detailed plan of action to get your chimney dry and keep the water out for good.