Your chimney was designed to withstand some harsh conditions. Your chimney can handle wind, high heat, freezing temperatures, and falling debris. However, even the most well-built chimney can start to show signs of damage if it isn’t properly maintained. This is especially true when it comes to the effects that water combined with freezing temperatures can have on your chimney masonry. At Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions we know that freezing temperatures can have a devastating effect on your masonry. This is especially true if water is allowed to intrude into your chimney brickwork. We want to help you understand why having a chimney that is unprotected from the rain in the spring and summer months can come back to haunt you when it freezes in the winter.
Water entry
When water comes into contact with your brickwork, it doesn’t just bounce off or wait to be evaporated. Although it’s hard to see, there are little pores within your bricks that allow them to absorb water. Although there are some sealants that you can put on your brickwork, these will have to be reapplied periodically. When water does get into your brickwork, it can pool in the cracks, so it won’t evaporate away.
Freezing
When it gets cold in the winter, any water that has pooled in your brickwork will freeze. When water freezes, it expands. When water expands inside your masonry, it often has no room to expand, so it pushes out on your brick, weakening it. After a while, this freeze/thaw cycle can eventually cause your bricks to crack and crumble. Unfortunately, depending on your area’s climate, this freeze/thaw cycle can happen multiple times during the fall and winter, hastening these issues.
Protect your masonry!
The good news is that at Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions, we can help you protect your brickwork from freeze/thaw damage. The best way to prevent damage from freezing water is to prevent it from entering your brickwork in the first place. This can be done by making sure your brickwork is properly protected with a chimney crown. Your chimney crown is located at the top of your chimney, and surrounds its opening. It is constructed out of mortar or cement by a mason. It is constructed in a way that forms a gentle slope away from your chimney flue, directing most water from rain, snow, and sleet away from your flue. Your chimney crown also prevents water from penetrating the top of your chimney brickwork. If your chimney crown is damaged, our expert masons at Hale’s Chimney and Fireplace Solutions can repair it for you!
Protect your chimney from freezing water! Call Hale’s Chimney and Fireplace Solutions today at 972-563-6851 or contact us online to talk with one of our chimney experts about keeping your masonry dry!