Why water seal your chimney?

A chimney in the PNW gets hit so hard with rain, the chimneys become saturated, then if temperatures drop below freezing, the bricks and mortar of your chimney expand and contract. This causes chimneys to crack at the crowns, around the flue tiles, the mortar begins to fall out of the chimney onto the roof, also we find bricks them selves going through decomposition. This is when you see the brick face sheer off because it filled with water and literally burst like a frozen ice cube. Known as spalling bricks. These cracked areas are open water ways and cause all kind of leaks and water damage into the home. We have seen it all, rotten roof, falling ceilings, leaking fireplace face, rusted dampers, rotting floors, and Mold! MOLD! MOLD!

We have found customers suffering from mold allergies for years not knowing it was coming from their chimney! This is called Masonry saturation Decay. With no chimney cap or the wrong cap this decay is accelerated in our climate.  If a chimney has never had a proper cap. It is likely you will need some repairs.

All of this decay is preventable. I think of a proper chimney cap as a crucial piece of flashing, we all know how important flashings can be. The proper chimney cap is a very important water diverting flashing for the chimney and everything below it.

We can provide a proper fitting chimney cap and water sealant application to shelter and protect your chimney from excessive water accumulation and further damage.