The harsh freezing temperatures of winter can bring lots of damage to masonry chimneys, and The Mad Hatter wants to help you be prepared this winter. Why does so much damage occur to chimneys in the winter? According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), water is the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys, and more water damage occurs in the winter because of spalling. We would like to explain to you what spalling is and what it can do to your masonry chimney. We also want to tell you how we can prevent this type of damage from happening to your chimney this winter.
What is spalling?
Have you noticed that after a snowstorm, you see more potholes on the streets? Spalling creates these potholes as a result of the freeze/thaw process. When water has penetrated into masonry materials like concrete, bricks, and mortar, it freezes and expands when the temperature drops below freezing. When the temperature rises above freezing, the water thaws and tries to escape by cracking apart the masonry materials. If water is leaking into your chimney, you will probably see cracked, loose, or missing bricks and pieces of mortar on the exterior of your chimney after a cold freezing spell. If this type of damage is left unrepaired, your chimney is in danger of collapsing.
How can The Mad Hatter prevent spalling damage?
Our CSIA-certified chimney technicians take water leak problems seriously, and we have a few ways to prevent water penetration of your chimney, including chimney cap installation and custom construction and installation of flashing systems. We would like to focus on one of the best ways to keep water from leaking into your chimney: waterproofing.
What can I expect from a waterproofing treatment?
The Mad Hatter will begin by examining the condition of the bricks and mortar of your chimney to see the amount of spalling damage. Our experienced masons can make repairs to the damaged bricks and mortar before the waterproofing treatment. We will clean the exterior of your chimney. Using a formula that is 100% vapor permeable, we will apply a coating of this formula to your entire chimney. The waterproofing formula will create a barrier on your chimney that will keep water from penetrating into the bricks and mortar, and since this formula is 100% vapor permeable, it will allow any vapors and fumes to escape the masonry materials so they do not become trapped to cause further damage. Waterproofing your chimney is an excellent way to prolong the life of your masonry chimney by preventing water penetration. We recommend that you have this preventive maintenance service done every five years to protect your chimney from spalling damage.
Prevent water penetration damage this winter. Contact us at The Mad Hatter to schedule an appointment for a waterproofing treatment of your chimney.