Dealing With Leaky Chimneys & Water Damage

Without regular maintenance, your chimney will inevitably spring a leak. After all, your chimney juts above your roofline and stays in the direct line of rain, sun, wind, sleet, and all the other conditions that Mother Nature has in store for those of us in the Hudson Valley, New York area. It could be said that no other part of your home is as exposed to the elements, which, as we well know, can be harsh and damaging.

Repairing Chimney Leaks

Here are four repairs we often need to make as a result of a leaky chimney:

1. Flashing repair: Flashing is the strip of bent and folded sheet metal that is installed at the point where your roof and your chimney meet. It’s designed and placed in layers to keep rainwater from seeping into this vulnerable seam. Unfortunately, flashing is too often installed by someone inexperienced. In these cases, we see flashing gap over time, or we’ll find that nail holes have rusted, allowing water to creep in.

2. Chimney relining or repair: In some cases, a leak will cause damage to the chimney liner, which is integral to the overall health and condition of your chimney. If your chimney liner has been compromised, your chimney may be a good candidate for a cast-in-place liner, which effectively repairs your existing clay or tile liner. If not, we also regularly reline with stainless steel liners.

3. Assorted chimney repairs: Other repairs that may be necessary as the result of a leak or water damage include chimney cap repair or replacement, chimney crown repair or replacement, top-sealing damper repair or replacement, chimney rebuilding, and tuckpointing or other masonry repairs.

Damaged chimney masonry causing leaks before repair
Sometimes it’s simple to fix a chimney leak, and sometimes we have to take a multi-pronged approach to repair your water-logged chimney. Only a CSIA-certified chimney tech is qualified to tell you for sure what needs to be done to resolve your leak.

Contact All Seasons Chimney at (845) 567-1217 or click here to schedule an appointment with one of our certified technicians. For more than 25 years, we’ve been helping care for the chimneys and fireplaces of our neighbors throughout Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Ulster and Putnam counties!

 

A simple chimney sweeping every year can go a long way toward letting you know what other chimney or fireplace services you may need. Give us a call.