During rainy days, a lot of homeowners stay inside their home because it is nice and dry. Maybe they sit on the sofa and relax in front of the fireplace. That is why the chimney plays a crucial role when it comes to protecting your home if there are strong winds, fire, rain, and anything else thrown by mother nature. A chimney that is well-built lasts for years, but maintain it properly for it to last long.

You can prevent chimney repair if you waterproof it, and you will find other great reasons why you should do it by reading this article until the end.

Moisture

It might seem as if the creosote in the lining is the biggest hazard you should worry about when it comes to chimneys, but moisture actually does more damage to your chimney than anything else. If you neglect moisture damage on your chimney, it can lead to a chimney fire or worst. Aside from that, the damage caused by the moisture is very expensive to repair.

That is because when the chimney system accumulates moisture damage, it will start to lean as the foundation when the home shifts. This causes damage to your home’s structure because the chimney will begin to separate from the flashing material that was attached to your roof.

Repairs

Before you waterproof your chimney, it is important to make the right chimney repairs. Otherwise, you are only preserving its currently weak condition and can lead to extensive renovations during the future. A chimney mason performs tuckpointing to repair the spalling and missing bricks. If there are extensive chimney damages, it might require a total renovation or rebuilding.

Chimney Cap

The first step towards preventing moisture damage from entering your chimney. The chimney cap will prevent rainwater from directly falling into your home through the chimney. The rain causes your chimney components like the damper to become rusty. In addition, if you put a cap with mesh, it can prevent creatures from entering your chimney and cause problems, expense, hassles, and inconvenience.

Mortar

The mortar is used to seal the chimney masonry. Once it starts to flake, decay, and crumble, the moisture will creep in. The repeated freezing and thawing that happen in the cold season cause the masonry to come off. If you do not have this repaired, the chimney starts to lean and eventually collapse.

Tuckpointing is the best chimney repair technique for this and it is used to replace the damaged areas using a strong mortar while the masonry is left in place. This has a stronger structure and helps to freshen up how the chimney looks.

Flashing

Flashing is the chimney’s metal part, and it acts as a watertight seal between the chimney and roof. The flashing is not always functioning properly because it can be difficult to install it. Even if it is properly installed, you should know that the metal can quickly become rusty. The smallest leak causes big problems, like roof structural damage before you are even aware that there is an issue. The experts are aware of how to spot the moisture problems as well as the unseen damage that might be happening.

Choose the Right Product

You should choose the best sealant for this because it should be able to withstand anything.

You can contact chimney relining Columbia MD anytime to help you with chimney waterproofing and other jobs.