Construction & Contractors Blog
Chimneys are a great addition to any household across America, whether you are in rural Alaska or suburban New York. There is nothing more comforting than gathering around a fireplace inside on a cold winters day, and a chimney ensures that this can happen. However, many chimneys are quire old and, as with any older structure, there can be problems with disrepair. If you are wondering whether or not your chimney needs to be repaired then here are a few warning signs that you should be on the lookout for.
Flue Tiles Cracking
Flue tiles are the special tiles that appear on the inside of your chimney and are used to control the heat of the fire and smoke so that the rest of the house does not catch on fire. Because they have such a high-intensity roll and are exposed to very hot temperatures, eventually, flue tiles will crack. This will become obvious as the only place they can go is directly down, into the fireplace. If you notice large bits of tile in your fireplace then there is a good chance it is the flue tiles from higher up in your chimney, and this is an indicator that you need residential chimney repair as soon as possible.
Internal Wall Problems
While chimneys allow you to have a fire inside, they also invite moisture from outside into the actual inside of the chimney when it is not in use. If the lining of the chimney is old or not working, and too much water gets into the inside of the chimney then it can start to have an effect on the inside rooms of your house. Cracks can appear in plaster, wallpaper can sag and shrivel up and you can even start to get mold in certain areas of your house. Don't let this moisture take hold, as residential chimney repair contractors can fix this up pretty quickly.
Crumbling Mortar
Mortar is the glue that holds all the bricks in your chimney together and without it the structure will become weak and prone to falling over if it gets pushed enough by strong winds. The first sign that your mortar is not doing well will be bits of mortar crumbling and falling down into the fireplace or around the outside. You should regularly look at the top of your chimney as well, to see if you can spot any mortar falling off or unevenly spread. Crumbling mortar is very serious and requires urgent attention from a residential chimney repair contractor.
Share20 October 2020
Have you ever driven past a large building that was still under construction? You may have stopped for a moment and admired the steel trusses and the heavy concrete blocks used to form and support such a large architectural creation. Here's a secret: construction workers do the same. Workers in this industry never cease to be amazed at what they can create from seemingly boring materials. Concrete turns into a school. Steel turns into a doctor's office. It really is incredible. You may not feel quite as amazed as you read about construction on this blog, but if you get at least a fraction of that wondered, amused feeling, we will be satisfied.
