On these rainy spring days, you might hear a dripping sound coming from your fireplace. Or perhaps you’ll notice a distinct musty smell emanating from it. If you find yourself in either of these situations, you should never ignore it. Water damage in your fireplace is serious business. Repairs will only become costlier the longer this problem persists. How did water get in your fireplace in the first place? That’s what we’ll address today.
Water damage in your chimney is serious business. But how did water get into your fireplace in the first place?
Broken Chimney Cap
Every proud fireplace owner should have a cap on top of their chimney. A proper chimney cap does one thing extremely well: it keeps stuff out of your chimney. This includes everything from debris, to critters, and—of course—rainwater. Your chimney should be a one-way street, and a cap will help to keep it that way.
If you’ve noticed signs of water in your fireplace, there may be an issue with your chimney cap. Have a chimney inspector take a look!
Cracks in the Masonry
But a broken chimney cap typically isn’t the first thing we’d look for. More commonly, the cause of water in your fireplace is cracked masonry. When it’s installed right, masonry is pretty tough. It can last for a century with the right maintenance. But even expertly installed brick masonry in your chimney can show some signs of wear over time.
The good news about cracks in your masonry is that they’re generally easy to spot. But the bad news is that repairs can be expensive. Still, the cost of masonry repairs will be far less than fixing the devastating effects of water damage.
Condensation
Let’s conclude with the best-case-scenario for why there’s water in your fireplace. This one has nothing to do with rain. If you notice that the glass on your fireplace doors fogs up in the sweltering Maryland summers, you may simply be dealing with condensation.
Some condensation in your fireplace is relatively common, and not necessarily a cause for concern. But you should use your best judgment here. Does it seem excessive? Are you noticing a distinct ‘musty’ smell indicative of water damage?
If you have even the slightest concern that there could be a problem, trust your gut. Contact the chimney experts at Champion Chimneys, and we’ll take a look.
Call the Experts at Champion Chimneys to Fix Your Leaky Chimney Today!
Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured chimney service company that has been serving customers in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 2001. Our team is trained and certified by Certified Chimney Professionals, Inc. (CCP, Inc.). Courteous service is our trademark, and our crews arrive on time in uniform, driving fully equipped trucks. We specialize in all aspects of your chimney system. Whether you need chimney and flue cleaning service or a full chimney rebuild or inspection, contact us at 443-Chimney today and let us fix all your chimney problems. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.