Waterproofing Your Chimney

In general, most people are not aware of the fact that water tends to do a lot more damage to your chimney than the fires that you burn in them actually do. The rest of your home is protected by the roof and the eaves, but your chimney remains completely vulnerable to all the cycles of nature, whether it is rain, sleet, snow or just a simple change in seasons.

Whether the chimney is made of brick, steel, tile, cast iron, or some other building material, it will eventually begin to deteriorate as it comes into contact with the elements of nature. Water damage usually occurs to chimneys simply because of the fact that some people do not know how to take care of them properly, even though taking care of a chimney is fairly easy.

Replacing the very top of the chimney is one of the best things that you can do to prevent water damage. What you do not want is a chimney crown that is made of a simple mortar mix, which is about the same thing used to lay the bricks of your home. This will deteriorate, chip, and crack much faster over time than a crown that is made of portland cement. This should hang over the edge of the chimney by at least two inches on all sides.

You should also check and see if the flashing around your chimney needs to be replaced. The flashing is located between your chimney and the roofing material and serves to keep rain water from seeping down into the crack underneath it and causing damage to the ceiling or walls.

There are a few different products that you can use to help waterproof your masonry chimney. Some of these products will allow your chimney to breathe water vapor and moisture out, but not allow it under the seal.

You should take good care of your chimney and keep a check on it every so often to make sure that it is not deteriorating at an excessive rate. If your chimney has cracks in it or areas look particularly unstable, you need to do whatever you have to in order to get this repaired as soon as possible. Severely water damaged chimneys can have pieces fall off of them before you know it and seriously injure someone in your family.

In addition to protecting your chimney from water damage, protecting the inside from becoming a fire hazard is also necessary and you can do this by burning logs that are specifically manufactured to cleanse your chimney of any buildup that may exist.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York water damage restoration contractors and other states and cities such as
Connecticut mold remediation and water damage restoration companies across the united states.