Taking care of your chimney can pay dividends in the long-run, as it could save you from forking out for extensive chimney repairs in the future. Here’s our guide on how to take care of chimneys.
Checking Your Chimney For Damage
To keep your chimney working as it should, you should check your chimney on the inside and out. Signs to beware of inside your house are stains around the chimney. This could indicate that there’s a leak or something more serious, like structural damage where the roof and chimney meet.
Once a year, you should get a professional to clean your chimneys for you to remove soot and dust. If you’re burning a lot of wood, you should aim to clean your chimneys twice a year. This is an important job because when you burn wood it can produce a product called creosote, which sticks to the flue.
Burning wood at the wrong temperature is main cause for the accumulation of creosote, which can be highly flammable when it builds up inside your flue. In the worst case, it could cause a chimney fire, which can have costly and potentially fatal consequences. Keep your chimneys clear with regular cleaning and inspections by a chimney company.
Another risk if your chimney needs repair work is from harmful gases inside the flue. The gas inside your chimney is carbon monoxide, a lethal gas and damaged chimney linings can allow these gases to seep through into your home. Make sure your property is safe by having your chimney inspected by a qualified tradesman on a regular basis.
Checking Chimney Brickwork
The outside of your chimneys needs just as much care as the inside. Your chimneys are often the highest point of a property and can come in for some serious damage in high winds and stormy weather – particularly if you do not pay your chimneys the attention that they deserve.
To keep your chimneys in good working order, you should do regular checks from the ground to ensure that there are no problems, such as animals that have become lodged there or made themselves a nest. Using a mesh chimney cap will prevent infestations or the odd stray animal hibernating in your chimney.
You can give a more thorough check without risking your person by using a pair of binoculars if you’re inspecting your chimney from the ground or if you have the proper equipment, like an extension ladder, you can go up and do a closer inspection. If you’re not confident working at height, contact a professional roofing firm or chimney specialist who can undertake chimney work safely.
You’re looking for chimney damage such as missing bricks, loose mortar, missing screws, cracks or other signs of damage. If you think there’s a problem, you should call in an experienced roofing firm or chimney specialist, who will be able to carry out repairs for your damaged chimneys.
Problems can naturally occur with your chimney over time. For example, lead flashings can become worn, allowing water to leak into your home. Damage to brickwork can happen during storms or in freezing wintry conditions when ice continuously freezes and thaws.
If your brickwork is unsealed and letting in water, you could have serious damage to your bricks and mortar if you allow the problem to develop. A good roofing firm will seal or rebuild chimney brickwork as appropriate.
Most chimney problems can be avoided by taking proper care of your chimneys. G&A Roof Repairs is a professional roofing firm that deals with all aspects of roofing work, including repairs for damaged chimneys.
- We offer chimney maintenance work such as:
- Chimney rebuilding
- Brickwork re-pointing
- Repairs for worn flashings and lead work
- Chimney pot refitting
- Chimney dismantling/removal
Call G&A for professional chimney repairs on 0800 626 430.
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