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WATERPROOFING YOUR CHIMNEY
Your home is in constant battle with moisture, which can penetrate building materials from both inside and out. Some parts of your home are more vulnerable than others. Because masonry chimneys are made from porous materials like brick and stone, they absorb moisture like a sponge. The best way to protect your chimney is to apply a waterproof sealant.
Why is Moisture Problematic for Masonry Chimneys?
Keeping your chimney in great shape involves maintenance and that means keeping moisture out. If rain, humidity, and condensation penetrate your masonry chimney, the bricks will deteriorate faster. This is due primarily to the freeze/thaw cycle, the same weathering process that causes asphalt roads to crack and develop potholes.
When water freezes inside a brick, the pores expand. Then, the water thaws and evaporates, leaving a larger space for water to fill next time. This process repeats over the winter months until the bricks lose their structural integrity, developing cracks and eventually loosening and falling out entirely.
What if Moisture Damage Has Already Occurred?
You may be considering using a chimney sealant because water damage has occurred in the past. However, it’s critical to address any existing moisture damage before applying a sealant. Otherwise, you could make the problem worse.
Here are the signs of water-damaged brickwork:
Efflorescence: This white, powdery deposit appears when water saturates and then evaporates from unsealed masonry surfaces. Moisture transforms the salt inside the masonry into a soluble solution. Then, capillary action carries the salt to the brick’s surface, where the water evaporates and leaves crystallized salt deposits behind.
Cracks: Cracked chimney bricks are never a good sign. The damage may be evidence that the bricks are deteriorating due to water intrusion.
Spalling: Peeling, flaking bricks indicate that water has infiltrated the masonry material.
Damaged mortar joints: Water doesn’t just damage chimney bricks. It can also deteriorate the mortar between them. Flaky mortar exposes more of the brick to water intrusion, accelerating the wear and tear.
Loose or missing bricks: If broken bricks litter your yard, act quickly to repair the water damage, or the entire chimney could collapse.
How Does Sealant Protect Masonry Chimneys?
Sealing your chimney is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to prevent water from penetrating the bricks. Here’s why this form of chimney maintenance is so worthwhile:
Prevent cracked bricks
Reduce the risk of leaks
Maintain the structural integrity of masonry materials
Extend the life of your chimney
Selecting & Applying a Chimney Sealant
The proper chimney sealant can protect against moisture intrusion for up to 15 to 20 years. The trick is to waterproof your chimney with vapor-permeable chimney sealant. This product protects the brick exterior from moisture while still allowing the pores to “breathe.”
Along with choosing the correct type of sealant, proper application is also crucial for achieving the best results. Leave the job to an experienced chimney repair technician who can professionally inspect, prepare, and seal your chimney.
How Do I Weatherproof My Chimney?
One solution is to get a chimney cap. However, if that’s not sufficient, you may want to choose a type of weatherproofing that’s well rated and able to keep moisture away. One major place where water tends to leak into the chimney is through the mortar joints. Water can find its way into a number of places, but these joints are the most common.
Myths About Chimney Waterproofing
Myth #1: Bricks should not be waterproofed because they need to breathe
Fact: Bricks are porous and do need to breathe. That’s why it is important to use a product specifically designed for chimneys and exterior masonry. Use a unique repellent that is vapor permeable so it will not trap water vapors in the brick. Water repellents that trap the vapors in the brick actually cause spalling rather than preventing it. As some of the best chimney water repellent out there, it is proven to reduce water penetration by 99.9%.
Myth #2: Water cannot get into my chimney because I have a chimney cap
Fact: Chimney caps act like rain hats. If you only wore a hat in the rain, it would keep your head dry, but the rest of your body would be soaked. It’s far better to wear rain gear head to toe if you must be in a storm. Your chimney however does not have a choice. It faces every storm, and the majority of them are unequipped for the fight. Did you know that nearly every chimney you encounter has signs of water damage? Brick chimneys absorb water like a sponge. Oftentimes, leaks in attics and walls against a chimney are simply from the bricks absorbing the water from the rain, and then shedding the water below the roof line. The well-defended chimney has a good screened stainless or copper chimney cap, a sealed top crown, vapor permeable waterproofing application, and proper flashing. Is your chimney equipped?
Myth #3: My chimney has held up for many years, there is no reason to do it now
Fact: Bricks are made to be a strong building material. However, just like pressure treated wood, the weather will always win if not properly maintained. If your chimney is over 10 years old, chances are it has already suffered water damage that you cannot see from the ground. Small cracks will form that you can only see up close. Water will enter these small cracks and when freezing temperatures come the cracks will enlarge. Nine out of ten masonry chimneys already have cracks at the top of the chimney. The question is, do you want to spend a little now to prevent further damage, or budget to rebuild the whole thing once you can finally notice the damage from the ground?
Myth #4: My chimney is in good condition because it looks good on the outside
If it looks good, waterproofing will keep it this way. Maybe you think it looks good but you have noticed some white areas or moss growth. The white is called efflorescence and is a sign of water issues. Moss also grows where water sits in the chimney and the plant has found a place to root itself. Even if you do not see white or moss, water only needs a hairline crack to creep into! Once water penetrates, the damage expands with time
Investing in regular chimney maintenance is the best way to prolong the life of your bricks and mortar and avoid more extensive chimney restoration.
CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004 FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM
Your home is in constant battle with moisture, which can penetrate building materials from both inside and out. Some parts of your home are more vulnerable than others. Because masonry chimneys are made from porous materials like brick and stone, they absorb moisture like a sponge. The best way to protect your chimney is to apply a waterproof sealant.
