What is a chimney cricket, and how can it be a critical piece of your chimney safety features?
A chimney cricket is a unique feature of chimneys. While it might seem like a small feature, it plays a big role in how well your roof works. What is a chimney cricket, and how can it be a critical piece of your chimney safety features?
What Does a Chimney Cricket Do?
A chimney cricket is a mini-roof that sits on the back of your chimney. This is designed to prevent the need for chimney repair by stopping water damage. Your chimney would not automatically shift water down the roof without a chimney cricket. It may allow some to collect around the base of the chimney, where it could damage the brick and eventually seep into your home. Even a small amount of water entering the underlay of your roof or home can add to a big problem and impact your chimney safety.
How Are Chimney Crickets Different Than Gutters and Other Water Removal Methods?
A chimney cricket goes the extra mile to further protect you against any water damage or issues. An ice shield is often installed behind the cricket to offer additional protection. This also helps prevent ice from accumulating around the base of the chimney, as a chimney cricket alone is not always enough to guide frozen water away. A leak prevention barrier is also typically part of the cricket installation process for further protection.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Have a Chimney Cricket Installed?
- Ongoing water damage and penetration can lead to serious structural issues on your property. These will require chimney repair and additional repairs to the rest of the house. Your house’s roofing system is critical to the overall safety of the property.
- When you don’t have a chimney cricket, you will experience leaks and drips. Over time, this damages the house’s structural integrity, not just the chimney and fireplace.
- If a chimney cricket is not installed, the odds of dealing with ice dams increase. Ice dams are hazardous and common in the winter. They place excess pressure on your roof and can slide off suddenly and hurt someone.
Schedule Your Chimney Cleaning from Champion Chimneys, Inc.
When you need a trusted company for your chimney inspection and chimney cleaning, you can trust our team. Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured chimney service company that has served 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.). 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