The structural integrity of your home’s roof is one of the most important ways to protect the most significant investment most people own – a home. If there is a leak or any damage to a roof, your home is in jeopardy of significant damage from flooding, mold, ruining furniture, etc.
What Causes Chimney Leaks?
Chimneys are a small, but essential part of the home. If there is a chimney leak, you notice water coming in through a wall or into your fireplace. You should not have water in either location. If not found quickly, a damaged chimney can create a lot of damage with expensive repairs.
The following are some of the most common causes of chimney leaks.
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Cracked or Loose Mortar
One of the ways a chimney will leak is through the mortar joints or brick/stone/block. Water can enter in through the cracks or holes in the mortar joints when the chimney exterior has bad or damaged masonry. Gravity will take over and pull the water down through the chimney when there is sufficient enough water that has entered the chimney.
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Crack in Chimney Flashing
Leaks around fireplace chimneys are common and can be hard to identify the source. Chimney roof leaks are usually caused by gaps or cracks between the metal flashing used to join the chimney to the roof and the chimney. A quick fix could be to apply roofing cement to gaps between the metal flashing and the chimney.
The flashing is what keeps water from going into the place where the brick structure comes through the roof (or otherwise comes close to the roof.) If there is a fairly large gap between the chimney bricks and roof, water will pour through the hole if it’s not sealed up. Flashing is often aluminum that goes in between a couple of bricks and bends to go on top of the shingles.
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Chimney Cap
The chimney cap protects the top of your flue from water entry, as well as wildlife and debris. Water can easily seep through any gaps if the chimney’s flashing is incorrectly installed, damaged, or merely loses its seal due to wear and tear or age.
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Cracks in the Chimney Crown
The cement part of the top of the chimney is called the chimney crown. The bricks are around the tile flue liners. You’ll still need something to stop the rain from just falling in around the tiles. The purpose of the chimney crown is to keep the rain out. Crown shrinkage or shifting of the structure can cause cracks in the chimney crown. These cracks will allow water to flow through it.
5. Condensation
Condensation can cause the chimney to drip or water to flow. Get it checked out by a local roofing professional.
6. No Cover
Chimneys need covers on them so that rainfall will not flow straight down into your chimney. A chimney cover makes sense because it keeps the rain, birds, animals, and debris out.
7. Leaking Bricks
Mortar and bricks can both pass water through a chimney. You have to be careful about the waterproofing material you use for a chimney. Make sure you hire a qualified roofing expert to fix any leaking bricks.
Contact a roofing specialist to identify where the leak is coming from and fix it. Check out your roof condition now to make sure you don’t have any possible problems like loose or missing shingles, etc.
No. 1 Home Roofing is proud to deliver quality service to its clientele in local communities, and therefore has years of experience in re-roofing and patching flat roofing systems.
No. 1 Home Roofing is a family-owned and operated roofing company conveniently located on U.S. Highway 19 in Palm Harbor, Florida. We are dedicated to providing top quality workmanship and materials to ensure that your new roof is done right. We specialize in shingle, tile, and flat roof installation, repairs, and maintenance. Contact us for an appointment and/or estimate at 727-781-7663.