Emergency: There is water coming through the chimney!
The chimney is a very common entry point for water to come into your home. There are several ways your chimney and the structures around your chimney can fail and let water into your home. These signs are discrete, but the damage happens quickly.
Damaged Chimney Cap
Your chimney should be always topped with a metal cap that prevents water from flowing down the chimney flue. These chimney caps take a lot of abuse from the weather in the Northeast, but get the job done to keep your chimney dry. Without a chimney cap in place, water can flow freely down your chimney’s flue and into your home - causing catastrophic damages.
Compromised Chimney Flasing
Chimney Flashing wraps around the base of your, you guessed it, chimney! Where the chimney meets the roof-line is where the flashing is installed and it prevents water from entering your home through the gap between the chimney and the roof. Failing flashing is one of the most common causes of a chimney leak and can lead to much bigger problems inside your chimney and home.
Leaky Masonry
Chimney masonry, as is the case with all masonry, is porous. The masonry materials soak in all of the moisture that it comes into contact with. During the winter months, the moisture trapped inside the chimney’s bricks and mortar freezes and expands, which leads to the masonry cracking and crumbling. The freezing and subsequent thawing damage can be subtle until rainy spring weather sends water through these cracks in the chimney and down your flue.
Call Westchester Chimney today for Emergency Chimney Service - there is no one better!