Make sure water doesn't get inside the chimney. It can damage your property, as well as your health.

Make sure water doesn’t get inside the chimney. It can damage your property, as well as your health.

With spring approaching we can expect to have more rain showers.  While the outdoors may like the idea, your chimney may be panicking.  When water collects in a chimney it can cause severe damage.  There can be easy fixes to these problems though, so call Owens Chimney System to schedule an inspection or maintenance appointment today!

How can water hurt your chimney?

Water can collect inside of your chimney and cause mold to grow within one or two days.  You may not be able to tell that it is mold because it can come in a variety of colors and textures.  Over time, the mold can spread to the rest of the home, getting into the foundation and your air supply.  This can be extremely detrimental to anyone with health conditions.

How does the water get inside of the chimney?

Water can make its way into your chimney in many ways, most commonly by a crack in the structure or the flue.  This water usually comes from precipitation from rain or melted snow.  If you feel like you have a problem, you can do a controlled water test to see where the water is entering the chimney.  Damaged flashing can also let water in and may need to be replaced if this is the case.

How can you prevent water from causing future problems?

No matter how careful you are with maintenance, there is no guaranteed way to make sure you are completely water free.  However, you can add some tasks to your checklist to lessen the chance.  The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) suggests installing a chimney cap.  They are inexpensive, but very efficient.

After having the proper inspection and chimney sweep, you can then have the structure waterproofed.  This can be done after there has been more than 24 hours of dry time.  Since, the process is simple so the technicians can be done in no time.  They will take a special repellent and apply it to the outside of the chimney, which will create a coating and dry as a seal.  If you live in an extremely wet environment you may need multiple coats, which can be applied every six hours.