When owning a home with a masonry chimney, one of the biggest maintenance responsibilities is to prevent water penetration. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) warns homeowners that masonry chimneys can suffer from accelerated deterioration due to prolonged contact with water if no preventive measures are taken. Once water has penetrated the bricks and mortar joints of a chimney, it won’t take long for extensive damage to occur, and this damage could potentially jeopardize the structure of your chimney. For over 25 years, All Seasons Chimney have been helping Hudson Valley area to avoid extensive and expensive water damage repairs with our professional services including waterproofing. We would like to tell you more about this particular service we provide and why it is so important, especially before rainy season hits.
Why is it so important to prevent water penetration from my masonry chimney?
The reason why you must keep water out of your chimney is because masonry materials are porous, which means the bricks and mortar joints of your chimney absorb water from rain, melted ice, and snow. While this can lead to erosion and deterioration all year long, the greatest amount of damage is done during the winter. Each time the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, any moisture trapped within the bricks and mortar will freeze and expand. When the weather warms back up, the force of the water thawing can be strong enough to cause the masonry materials to crack, crumble, and break apart. This creates gaps and voids in the chimney structure that will allow even more water to penetrate, which lead to further deterioration. It is is strongly recommended by the CSIA to have your chimney professionally waterproofed to avoid water damage to your chimney.
How can waterproofing my chimney help prolong its life?
When All Seasons Chimney applies a waterproofing agent to your masonry chimney, we are able to reduce water penetration by almost 99.9 percent. We only use waterproofing formulas that are vapor permeable. This means that even though we have created a barrier against water penetration of the bricks and mortar joints of your chimney, gases and vapors are still able to escape the masonry materials and not become trapped to cause more damage. By having your chimney professionally waterproofed will not only protects it from water damage and penetration for a decade, but it will also prevents stains from mildew and efflorescence.
Keep your chimney safe from water penetration damage during the rainy season. Contact us today at All Seasons Chimney to schedule your appointment for our professional chimney waterproofing services.
We are a proud certified Regency wood stove dealer. We also carry a wide variety of different sizes and styles of this heating appliance. Known for manufacturing high quality stoves and fireplaces with a great value,