You may not believe it, but water usually causes more damage to chimneys made from masonry than fire does. Think about this. Every other brick and piece of material on the house on the outside is protected either by your roof or the eave of the house. Except the chimney. The chimney of your house gets all of the abuse of the weather, such as rain, snow, sleet, even heat and sun.

A chimney that is made of bricks is made up of many sorts of masonry and metal products. This might include brick, tile, mortar, steel and even iron. Every one of these materials will get damage from too much contact with water over time.

You would think that the masonry would have more problems from the fire, but it almost always water that is the primary culprit in major chimney problems.

You should know that chimney materials can decay rather rapidly when they have to deal with the freeze and thawing process, if moisture has gotten into the materials of the chimney. If the water in there is freezing and then thawing, it will cause stress on the materials of your chimney. You will find that water in your chimney also will make rust in your steel or iron parts of the chimney.

If water gets into the materials of the chimney, you can end up with extensive damage to your house on the inside and outside. These can include brickwork that is broken, decaying firebox assembly, damper assembly rusting, rotted wood around the chimney, decaying mortar, and cracking flue linings.

Prevent Water Damage

You can prevent these things from happening by installing a chimney cap. This also is known as a rain cover. This is the cheapest way to stop water from getting into your chimney and causing you headaches. Your chimney will have one or more openings at the very top of the chimney. A cap over this will keep the water from getting inside the chimney. It also will keep birds and rodents from getting inside your chimney and causing you other problems. A chimney cap also can help to prevent sparks from coming up and getting on your roof and causing a fire.

You also can replace the crown on your chimney. Most chimneys have a crown that is made from the mortar of the chimney. This is not made to take the many years of wear and tear from the weather. We find that the majority of most crowns made of sand or mortar will begin to crack almost right away due to shrinkage.

Your chimney crown needs to be made of Portland cement. It should be cast so that there is an overhang that will go over all sides of the chimney. This should be at least 2 inches. This extra edge will keep the runoff water from the crown and away from the chimney sides. This will keep erosion at bay.

By following some of these basic guidelines, you can prevent water damage from ever affecting your chimney.

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Visit http://www.creativeenergyexteriors.com/ today. Check out http://www.creativeenergyexteriors.com/roofing.html our section on roofing projects now.

Author Bio: Visit www.CreativeEnergyExteriors.com today. Check our section on roofing projects now.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: Home, Repair, Construction, Tips, Advise