Stopping those Chimney leaks before the Great Nor’Easters sweep on through.
Cold weather is upon us! Around this time of year the roof repair guys get a lot of calls about leaky chimneys from concerned homeowners. These leaks are usually discovered on the first extremely cold day. The Roof Repair Guys are experienced in repairing leaky chimneys and are happy to get your home dry and ready for the winter.
The most common cause of a leaky chimney occurs during your initial roof installation. When installing a brand new roof around a chimney, certain precautions must be followed. Flashing must be carefully installed to prevent water from leaking into your home and chimney. The flashing needs to be sealed and affixed to your chimney using water tight sealers. Often times improper installation or lack of care while installing the roof will lead to chimney leaks or ice dam build up.
Damaged mortar joints between the chimney and masonry are also a very common cause of chimney leaks. These joints should be repaired as soon as they are noticed. These cracks will allow moisture to come in close contact with the masonry and accelerate the deterioration process. The whole chimney could collapse if these cracks are not fixed.
Leaky chimneys are also a cause for concern as an old chimney leak could cause a chimney collapse which weighs thousands of pounds. Having this drop onto you roof is extremely dangerous for you and your family. Additionally you house will drop in value if a leaky chimney is discovered by the home inspector.
Chimney leaks lead to interior leaks.
Another phenomenon that causes leaky chimneys deals with the behavior of snow and ice during the winter. In most cases when snow or ice are deposited on your roof, they will melt off at a constant rate, and slide off your roof. When your roof is not installed correctly around the chimney, ice and snow will be blocked from moving off the roof and build up behind your chimney. All the more reason to find a roof repair team that specializes in your particular weather conditions, getting the right chimney repair near you faster and at a higher quality for your conditions than any other.
The snow and ice will then sit behind your chimney and melt without moving, which will cause leaks into your chimney and roof. Although this type of problem looks very complicated to fix, The Roof Repair Guys have several inexpensive methods which will fix your leaky chimney issue quickly.
When it comes to a leaky chimney two points must be considered. First and foremost, your leak has to be located and sealed. This is very easy and inexpensive to do. However, only sealing the leak around your chimney doesn’t guarantee leaks won’t appear in the future. To Future Proof your home and chimney, we recommend having a Cricket installed.
“Future proof” your home with a quality Chimney Cricket
A cricket is a ridged mound. The ridge serves the purpose of diverting snow and ice around the chimney, so the chimney only sees light winter buildup. With our Chimney repair service near you, we can take existing structures and add extra protection, or even rebuild a new one from scratch.
By diverting the natural flow of precipitation you can prevent any leaks for many years to come. This is a fast and economical decision which will pay for itself throughout the years.
Whether you just want a diagnostic and estimate, or you want a full blown winterizing protection service, we are here to help. Leaky chimneys are a cause for concern, give The Roof Repair Guys a call for a free estimate and peace of mind over the winter.
