Warmer weather has arrived and that means spring rains will be bringing new life to the area. Although flowers, trees, and animals love what rainy weather brings, moisture can cause all sorts of issues in your chimney system. From water stains and mildew growth on the inside of your chimney to crumbling masonry, moisture is your chimney’s worst enemy. However, there are a number of ways you can defend your chimney against moisture. Water sealants, dampers, and your chimney crown are all important ways you can fight moisture. However, we here at Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions want to discuss with you the first lines of defense against chimney moisture issues – your chimney cap and flashing – and why they are so important in the fight against chimney moisture.

Chimney Cap

The top of your chimney is basically an opening that goes all the way down to your fireplace. This opening is important for letting heat, gas, and smoke out of your home. However, this also means that rain, snow, sleet or anything else can easily enter your chimney. That’s why it is critical to have a chimney cap installed at the top of your chimney.A chimney cap is a metal mesh box that sets on top of your chimney and blocks nature from entering into your chimney while letting smoke and gases out.

Flashing

There is a chance your chimney wasn’t installed flush with your roof. This is because if your roof and chimney were touching, your roof might get too hot. Also, your chimney settles at a different rate than your home, so it needs room to move around. However, you also don’t want a gap on your home’s roof. Therefore, when your chimney was built, a piece of thin metal sheeting called flashing was installed to fill the gap. The flashing deflects water from entering into the gap between your roof and chimney. This protects both your chimney masonry and your home’s framework from water and other issues.

Schedule Your Chimney Inspection Today!

Because moisture can cause larger issues within your chimney system, it is important that you have both your chimney cap and flashing inspected annually by a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney technician. A CSIA certified chimney technician, like the ones at Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions, will go up on your roof and make sure that your chimney cap and flashing are both correctly placed and are free of corrosion or damage.

Spring has arrived and now is a great time to schedule your annual chimney inspection by calling Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions at 972-562-6851 or scheduling an appointment online today.