If water is able to work its way into your home when it rains, you might be under the impression that you have a roof leak. But in reality, at least some of the people who suspect they have roof leaks have chimney leaks causing moisture issues.
If your chimney leaks when it rains, it can be every bit as bad as a roof leak. The water that gets into your home can do a lot of damage and potentially put your chimney and other aspects of your home at risk.
You should look for signs of a chimney leak and address them as soon as you can. It’ll stop a leaky chimney from doing any more damage than it’s already been able to do.
Continue reading to learn everything to need to know about dealing with a chimney leak.
5 Biggest Signs of a Chimney Leak
When a chimney first starts leaking, you might not realize it right away. It’ll take some time for you to notice that your chimney leaks when it rains since most leaks will start off small.
But over time, you will begin to see signs of a chimney leak. You might also recognize that you could have a leak simply by inspecting your chimney from time to time. Here are five of the biggest signs of a chimney leak.
1. No Cover on the Top of Your Chimney
The cover that sits on the top of your chimney is designed to keep everything from animals to debris out of it. It’s also in place to prevent rain from falling directly down your chimney.
As a result, you’re often going to find that rainwater will be able to get into your chimney and make its way into your home if you don’t have a chimney cover. You will need to have a missing chimney cover replaced ASAP to stop this from turning into a big problem.
2. Damaged Crown on Your Chimney
A chimney crown is located right underneath a chimney cover. One of its sole purposes is to stop rain from being able to enter your chimney.
But as your chimney expands and contracts over the course of the year with the different weather patterns, your chimney crown can crack. And even a small crack in your chimney crown can invite rainwater to come into your home.
You should sneak a peek at your chimney crown every so often and look for any signs of cracking. You will need to get a damaged chimney crown either repaired or replaced to avoid letting moisture enter your home through it.
3. Worn-Out Brick and Mortar Joints in Your Chimney
When your chimney was first built, the bricks and mortar that were used to create it were very strong. But over time, the joints in between the bricks and mortar can start to weaken and let water pass through them.
If this is happening in your home, you will no doubt have at least some rainwater sneaking through the cracks in between brick-and-mortar joints. You’ll need to have these cracks repaired and consider waterproofing your chimney sometime soon.
4. Faulty Flashing Around Your Chimney
All of the various things in your home that come up through your roof need to have what’s called flashing around them. Flashing is a thin piece of metal that is put into place to stop rainwater from getting into a home through the cracks that surround chimneys, vents, etc.
Flashing can wear down over the years and eventually stop doing its job. It can also get damaged if you ever have a new roof installed and roofers don’t take the time to replace it.
You should inspect the flashing for your chimney and replace it if you see that it’s no longer providing your chimney with the protection it needs.
5. Condensation Inside Your Chimney
Most chimneys have liners in them that prevent the interior of the chimney from overheating. These liners are also designed to stop condensation from building up in a chimney.
If you have a chimney liner that has gone bad or, worse, if you don’t have a liner at all, you should look into getting one. Otherwise, this could be to blame for your leaky chimney.
How Chimney Leaks Can Affect Your Home
If you fail to recognize the signs of a chimney leak or simply choose to ignore them, it isn’t going to bode well for your home. Chimney leaks can cause a wide range of complications in a house.
A chimney leak can result in:
- Damage done to the walls in your home that surround your chimney
- Any wood around the perimeter of your chimney rotting
- Mold growing in the areas around your chimney
If you experience any of these issues, it will put you in a position where you’ll have to repair both your chimney and whatever other problems a chimney leak caused. It’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to get help with a chimney leak as soon as you notice it.
Why Hiring Professionals to Fix a Leaky Chimney Is the Best Idea
When you first see one of the signs of a chimney leak, you might be tempted to try and fix whatever the problem is on your own. But more often than not, this isn’t going to be a good idea.
Instead, you should call on professionals to assist you with your leaky chimney. They can get to the bottom of what’s going on with your chimney and make sure that they’re able to diagnose the issue and fix it quickly.
They can also recommend other chimney-related repairs that you will want to consider soon. It’ll enable you to continue using your home’s chimney without a care in the world.
Contact Us Immediately If Your Chimney Leaks When It Rains
Do you believe that you’ve seen one or more of the signs of a chimney leak? If so, we can lend a hand by providing you with the chimney repair services that you need.
We’ll inspect your chimney from top to bottom to see what the issue is. We’ll also make the necessary repairs to it to stop it from leaking as you move forward.
Give us a call today to take advantage of our chimney repair services.