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Austin Leaky Chimney Repairs
Trust Wolfman for Your Leaky Chimney Repairs
In Your Austin Area Home
Leaky chimneys are a problem. They bring water, stains, mold, odors, and decay into your home. But beyond these effects, chimney leaks can cause significant issues with your chimney and fireplace system, rendering it unusable without significant risk.
If your Austin area home or business has a leaky chimney, our certified, experienced team of chimney repair experts can take care of them for you, adding preventative measures so that you won’t have to deal with them again. We also offer a wide range of fireplace and chimney repair services. Contact us today to get started!
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How Can Water Damage My Chimney?
Your masonry chimney seems pretty solid, but water is actually it’s biggest enemy. Here’s why:
- Water causes rust on your chimney cap, chase cover, chimney flashing, damper, and other metal parts.
- Water causes stains on your chimney’s exterior, your home’s walls, and your ceilings around the chimney.
- Water seeps into your masonry work, causing it to start degrading, including your bricks and mortar, as well as your firebox.
- Water can rot your home’s woodwork if it’s located near your chimney, and can cause mold and mildew to form.
- Water can lead to blockages forming in your flue or chimney, which can cause significant health issues.
- Water can undermine your chimneys’ foundation, cause it to eventually settle, tilt, or collapse altogether.
- Water can cause some very foul odors to form and enter your home, often due to chimney smells, mold, or mildew.
If you take into account the damage a leaky chimney can cause to your home, you can see the importance of investing in regular and preventative maintenance. Our team of Austin leaky chimney experts can look over your system, find the issue, recommend repairs, and handle the problem.
How Do I Prevent Chimney Leaks?
When our Austin chimney clients ask what they can do to avoid chimney leaks, here’s our top tips:
- Keep your chimney crown well-maintained.
- If a chase cover is needed, have it professionally installed.
- Buy a quality chimney cap and have it professionally installed.
- Have quality flashing installed by a professional.
- Keep an eye out for symptoms of chimney leaks.
- Have a roof cricket installed behind your chimney.
- Get your chimney professionally waterproofed.
- Have deteriorating bricks replaced.
- Get tuckpointing for eroding mortar.
- Always book your annual chimney inspections.
- Have any necessary repairs completed quickly.
If you’re able to manage most, if not all, of these items, you probably won’t have an issue with a leaky chimney.
Will My Homeowners’ Insurance Cover My Chimney Leak?
In most situations, your homeowner’s will not cover chimney leaks for your Austin area chimney, because everyday wear and tear on your system isn’t considered a sudden occurrence, which is an insurance term for an incident that the homeowner couldn’t prevent. Generally speaking, chimney leaks can be prevented by routine inspections and preventative measures. Failing to take care of your system is a type of neglect, not a sudden occurrence.
However, if you experienced a sudden failure due to a flood, earthquake, hurricane, or tornado causing damage to your chimney system, this type of damage is often covered by insurance. This type of situation requires documentation, including that your prior annual inspections prove your system was in good repair. If you need help with your insurance claim, the experienced chimney professionals at Wolfman can help you with the process, providing you with the evaluations and reports needed by your insurance company.
Do I Need Chimney Waterproofing?
Chimney waterproofing is a vital part of keeping your chimney system healthy and aging well. Many people don’t realize how absorbent bricks are, and once moisture is picked up, it can start breaking the bricks down, causing them to fail. Chimney waterproof stops that process by sealing bricks with a vapor-permeable material that allows the moisture to leave, but no new moisture can enter.
Should I DIY Chimney Waterproofing?
There are products that are available through websites and home improvement stores that claim to seal bricks, but you won’t get the same results as you will from a chimney professional. These professionals know how to ensure your entire chimney is covered, especially the problem points.
Additionally, consumer-grade products are often not vapor permeable and will not last as long as professional-grade products. If you use these products and apply them yourself, you’ll have a false sense of security that your chimney is protected when it actually isn’t, and no warranty by the product company will be honored.
Finally, there’s the safety issue. Your chimney reaches up high, and if you fall or injure yourself, the medical bills will be much higher than your waterproofing service. We advise you to seek professional waterproofing of your chimney to ensure great results that will last for years to come.
Do I Need a Chimney Cricket and What Is It?
Also called a roof cricket, a chimney cricket is a triangle-shaped system that directs water away from the most vulnerable parts of your chimney. When the roof slants upward behind the chimney, the roof cricket moves water away from the chimney, preventing it from building up, pooling, or breaking down your roofing or chimney materials. However, these take professional knowledge and installation to work properly, preferably from a chimney professional who understands both chimney and roofing systems.
How Does Flashing Prevent Chimney Leaks?
When your roof meets up with walls, including chimney walls, those areas are prone to leakage, because they are made from different materials that don’t expand and contract uniformly. In addition, the seal isn’t always reliable. Lack of protection at these points causes interior damage in your home, which is why flashing is installed there.
Flashing is a protective barrier around your chimney that keeps water from entering your home at this point. It’s typically made of pieces of metal that work together to guide water away from your chimney. It often includes step and counter flashing. Step flashing goes up the roof, sitting beneath your shingles, to keep water from entering around your chimney. Counter flashing keeps water from getting behind the step flashing.
How Much Do Leaky Chimney Repairs Cost?
As with most home services, the cost of your repairs will depend on the amount of damage and what’s needed to fix the problem. A new chimney cap can cost a few hundred dollars, while extensive masonry repairs can lead into the thousands.
However, as is true with many repairs, the longer you wait, the worse it gets. We recommend having an inspection arranged with our certified chimney technicians so that we can provide you with a complete assessment of the chimney system and provide you with an estimate of repairs. When you work with Wolfman, we’ll always try to work with your needs and budget to give you a safe, efficient repair to your chimney system.
Do Leaking Chimneys Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
Not directly, but they can contribute to it. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is very dangerous because it’s hard to detect. It’s poisonous, taking the place of oxygen in your indoor air that can lead to illness and even death.
Symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. When your chimney isn’t in good shape, holes and cracks can form that allow carbon monoxide to enter your home, increasing the risk of exposure. These issues also cause blockage which increases carbon monoxide presence. Don’t delay your leaky chimney repairs, and make sure to install carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home.
Do Leaking Chimneys Lead to Fires?
The worse condition your chimney is in, the less efficient it is and the faster creosote builds up. As the leading cause of chimney fires, creosote is highly flammable and can spread heat and flames outside of your leaky chimney into the rest of your home.
To protect your loved ones and home, make sure to have regular chimney inspections and maintenance and have repairs completed as soon as possible. Also, install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to give you early warning of a problem.
How Often Does My Chimney Need to Be Inspected for Leaks?
At a minimum, no matter what kind of system you have, you should have an annual, or once a year, inspection of your system. Your chimney professional will check for signs of chimney leaks or water damage, find the source, and recommend repairs or services to stop the problem.
However, if you suspect a chimney leak, see signs of leaks, or see damage, don’t hesitate to get a professional in to check out your chimney. The sooner you can have the problem handled, the better it is for your chimney and your pocketbook.
Call Our Team of Chimney Professionals!
At Wolfman Chimney & Fireplace, our purpose is being here for you. Your chimney leaks can cause a lot of hassles, but when you work with us, you’ll get a much lower-stress experience. Our Austin leaky chimney repair experts will take a look at your system, find the leaks, and get your system back into great shape, giving you peace of mind.
Ready to get started? Our friendly team of chimney professionals is always happy to chat about your chimney issues. Take a moment to reach out online through our form or give us a call at 512-866-9917 now. We’ll be your trusted partner through the whole process, giving you a safe, efficient chimney and fireplace system once again.