Changes in the weather, especially between seasons can cause some unexpected surprises throughout your home. One of these unwanted surprises is chimney leaks. You may start to notice water spots forming on your ceiling, warping wallpaper or water dripping into your home above your fireplace. These leaks are not always just from your roof, often your chimney cap, flashing and the brick mortar also play a part in causing these unwanted leaks.
Contact Us Now if Your Chimney is Leaking
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Different Causes of a Chimney Leak and How They Can Be Repaired:
Chimney leaks can be as simple as just needing to replace your chimney cap to as complex as redoing the mortar on your chimney or replacing the flashing and siding. Below are some of the different factors that can cause a chimney leak:
Damage to Shingles
A leak inside your chimney can be caused due to damaged shingles on your roof. This could be from a missing shingle, a broken or cracked shingle, or even a loose shingle. If the shingles on your roof are damaged in any way, this could lead to water from rain or snow outside leaking through to the inside of your home. Shingles on your roof should be secured into place correctly to prevent water from making its way inside your home.
To repair the damage to your shingles, it is essential to first schedule a roof inspection to determine which shingles are the ones that need to be fixed. Any missing, broken, cracked, or loose shingles found on your roof could be causing the leaks inside your chimney. Once the damaged shingles are identified, you will need to have those shingles replaced. It is essential for the new shingles to be properly secured so they will not cause future leaks inside your chimney again.
Here at Advanced, we can assist you by identifying and repairing any problem areas on your roof that might be causing your chimney leak.
Damage to Flashing
Leaks in your chimney could be caused by damage to your flashing. Flashing, in its most basic definition, is the metal used on your roof that prevents water from coming too close to the places where structures protrude through your roof line. If the flashing is not properly installed, water will pour through any gap where there is no flashing. Flashing typically consists of aluminum, copper or galvanized metal. Flashing is generally installed in a manner to keep water out, as long as the water is running downhill. Sometimes professional-grade sealant needs to be used
along with the flashing in order to reinforce weak points. If the sealant isn’t properly installed or has aged over the years, it could be the cause of your chimney leak.
Our experienced professionals will be able to assist you by locating the damaged flashing or sealant and repairing it in order to resolve your chimney leak.
Wood or Vinyl Siding Damage Around Chimney
Another culprit that could cause a chimney leak is damage to the wood or vinyl siding in your chimney. The state of your home’s wood or vinyl siding can affect the performance of your fireplace. If the siding is warped, missing, or peeling away from your home, this could allow water to get into your chimney and leak inside your home.
Damage to the siding on or around your chimney can be fixed by replacing any siding that looks broken, warped or missing. Strong siding on and around your roof and chimney is essential to preventing any water from leaking through as well as keeping the structure sturdy. It is also important to have your chimney or wall wrapped in a vapor barrier that is installed correctly with flashing. This is important because sometimes, when it rains, water can get behind your siding and when it does, it needs to be able to travel down the wall and off of the roof without damaging your structures and leaking into your home.
Our experts can help you locate any problem areas you may have and replace any siding that is warped, broken or installed incorrectly.
Damaged Bricks
Damage to the bricks surrounding your chimney can be the cause of your chimney leaks. When waterproofing a chimney, you need to be careful when choosing what material to use. If water is absorbed into your bricks during the summertime, they could possibly dry out, however, during other seasons where there isn’t as much heat or direct sunlight, water that gets inside bricks won’t necessarily dry. The water could continue to be absorbed inside the bricks and then try to escape when the brick becomes too saturated. This is when leaks could occur inside your home as water escapes inside your chimney. Some bricks can even become soggy due to how saturated they become. Waterproofing your chimney is essential to prevent these leaks. Depending on the extent of the brick damage, a brick mason may be needed to assess your unique situation and recommend the best mode of action to resolve it.
If your chimney is sealed with a silicone sealant, you may want to think about replacing that with a polysiloxane sealant instead. Silicone-based water sealants may trap more moisture inside the bricks rather than preventing it. While replacing any damaged or soggy bricks that are causing leaks around and inside of your chimney, it is also important to use a proper sealant to waterproof your chimney to prevent any further water leaks. An experienced specialist can help find the damaged bricks that need to be replaced as well as discuss waterproofing options that
will be most effective here in Huntsville and throughout other areas of North Alabama and The Tennessee Valley.
Aside from damages to the structure of your chimney or the shingles on your roof, below are additional factors that could cause a chimney leak:
Chimney Cover
If your chimney cover is missing or there is a problem with the chimney cover you have now, rainfall can pour into your chimney, fireplace and home. This could also allow animals such as birds and small rodents to easily access your home or even make a home of their own inside of your chimney. Covers also help keep dirt and debris out of your home.
Crack In Chimney Crown
If there is even a small crack along the cement on the top of your chimney (the chimney crown), water is able to leak through and eventually get inside of your home. The overall purpose of the chimney crown is to keep the rain out. Making sure your chimney crown is free of cracks is essential for preventing leaks.
Chimney Cap
A chimney cap prevents the top of your flue from water entering in. Water can seep through the chimney cap if it isn’t secured all the way or if it is damaged. Having a sturdy chimney cap is essential for preventing water leaks as well as keeping small animals and debris from entering your chimney. A chimney cap can be replaced with a new one if it is damaged.
Don’t Wait
Chimney leaks can be quite a nuisance and can cause water damage to both the inside and outside of your house. Severe water damage can warp your walls and result in the rotting of important structural components of your home. If you do notice a chimney leak, contacting Advanced is a good place to start when trying to locate the leak. We can check to make sure your chimney’s bricks and flashing are in good shape so you can avoid getting the ladder out and trying to climb onto your roof yourself. We will inspect the roof area around your chimney, look for damaged shingles or warped siding and make sure water isn’t seeping in through those areas. We will also be sure to check your chimney cover, chimney crown and chimney cap to make sure they are not cracked or damaged and that they are properly secured into place.
These items are there to prevent direct rainfall, small animals and debris from entering your home. Professionals like us are experienced and equipped to locate the cause of your leak as well as repair any damage found, replace insufficient or rotting material and effectively prevent your chimney from continuing to leak so it doesn’t cause any further damage to your home.
You can rely on Advanced Roofing & Construction to come to the rescue when you have a chimney leak involving shingles, flashing, siding or chimney caps. We know how important it is to find the cause of the leak and prevent further damage from occurring. We want to help you. Call our office at 256-603-9171 to schedule an appointment time that works for your schedule so we can take a look at your chimney, find the problem and provide the solution!
