We help protect from unnecessary fires and carbon monoxide poisonings in your home
Chimney Roof Repairs
Chimney Roof Repairs
- Different types of roofs and how they impact the job of a chimney sweep
- The type of roof material on your house determines the modus operandi of your professional chimney sweep. Wood, slate, reinforced concrete, ceramic tiles, or stone shingles can be walked on with heavy duty boots and no damage. It is easy to set up scaffolding if necessary and clear away debris. For more fragile materials such as asphalt, asbestos or solar panels the chimney sweeps has to use extra precaution so that they do not break, crack, or scratch the roofing material. Please be aware that the pricing on chimney roof repair work varies widely based on the materials, type of chimney damage and repair work needed.
- If you notice water damage on your walls or a foul smell coming from your fireplace, contact your chimney professional or a local roofer for the best advice on what the issue is and to get a quote. Chimney sweeps would surely be able to differentiate between what would require a chimney flashing repair and a chimney crown repair vs. a full replacement or a new liner. They are well versed in safety standards of the Na National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) and want to keep you and your family safe in your home.
- Chimney Liner (Also known as chimney flue)
- Defective or damaged chimney liners are the leading cause of chimney fires. Some old chimneys don't even have a lining at all or the one they do have is no longer safe and needs to be replaced. Older homes that have linings that are not structurally safe need to be completely replaced to pass the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) standards. The NFPA mandates that all masonry chimneys to have a liner and that it is inspected and cleaned annually. Regular maintenance ensures that deadly gases resulting from the combustion of solid fuel like coal and wood find their way out of the house. They also prevent chimney fires resulting from the buildup of creosote.
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- Chimney flue liners are installed to keep your chimney up to code because a liner helps guide the combustion by-products out and away from the chimney. Every chimney needs a working liner and during your annual chimney cleaning, your chimney professional may tell you that you need a new one or that you need to repair the existing one. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) rules ordain a replacement of chimney liners if cracks are discovered in the present liner, if it is broken, or it is missing. A broken or damaged liner could result in gases flowing in the house down the flue. A damaged or a broken chimney liner could also result in excessive heating of combustible material near the chimney. The damage could give way to severe losses in all cases. Considering the dangers of old unlined or damaged chimneys, and the many cost effective options now available to make chimneys a safe component of the home heating system, may we suggest you have your chimney professionally inspected to be sure it meets modern safety standards.
- Chimney Flashing
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A chimney flashing is typically sheet metal that lines the edge of your chimney and roof to prevent water from entering the chimney and your ceiling. If you have a leaking chimney or water stains on your ceiling above your fireplace, it is likely that your flashing is missing, rusted through, cracking or misplaced, or improperly sealed with roofing tar that is hiding the bigger problem underneath. Water damage will cause further cracking and is a big fire hazard when left untreated. The old materials will need to be removed, and after repairing the water damage, you will also need to install new flashing to prevent water damage from happening again.
Chimney flashing is usually made of metals like aluminum and stainless-steel. Copper is usually the longest lasting of these. Copper is the most popular metal when it comes to chimney flashing. This is because of its durability. The malleable corners make up a water tight enclosure. Some people prefer lead over copper. What counts, at the end of the day, is that there should be a watertight compartment. If you have asphalt or wood shingles, this is still a fairly complex Do-It-Yourself project. If you have slate or tile roof, there are special techniques that should be used that require a professional sweep’s help.
To repair damaged flashing, the first step would be cleaning of the dirt or debris around the area intended to be repaired. The chimney sweep would cut some fabric big enough to cover the area to be repaired. He would leave 3 inches of fabric on each side to wrap it all over the chimney. Next, the roof and the chimney need to be covered with a duct tape. Using a flashing sealant around 1/8 an inch thick, he would seal the area inside the masked area. The seal would be covered with the fabric. The fabric's ends are to be cut and wrapped over the corner of the chimney. Minor cracks between the roof and the chimney could be repaired and sealed with the help of caulk. Brick chimneys are liable to damage in the course of a few years, and a silicon-based sealer is recommended to be used as a sealant. This is not the only way to keep water at bay, but some chimney sweeps do use this method.
If you are comfortable working on your roof and think you can pry off the existing metal and cement, and then measure, cut and bend new sheet metal to fit precisely around the chimney, and finally layer all the parts so they shed water properly by yourself, you will be able to save some money. However, there are many specialized tools you need to buy when working with sheet metal, so unless you already own them, the cost and time commitment is not worth it, and this is a job better left to a professional chimney sweep.
There are three
types of liners; clay, metal, and
cast-in-place.
1.
Clay Tile
Liner: Clay tiles are the most
common type of masonry chimney
liners because they are inexpensive,
readily available.
They perform quite well for
open fireplace chimneys that are
properly maintained each year. There
are two disadvantages to clay tile
liners. Because they are a ceramic
product, they cannot rapidly absorb
and evenly distribute heat during
the rapid temperature rise that
occurs when a chimney fire happens.
This uneven heating produces an
unequal expansion which in turn
causes the flue tiles to crack and
split apart. This is similar to
immersing a cold drinking glass in
very hot water. It will instantly
shatter. If you
get cracks in your chimney liner,
you will need to your chimney
professional to repair them before
using it again. The second
disadvantage is that tiles cannot
adequately contain the liquid
combustion byproducts produced by
modern gas appliances. 
3.
Cast-in-place chimney liner:
These liners are lightweight,
cement-like products that are
installed inside the chimney forming
a smooth, seamless, insulated
passageway for the flue gasses. They
can improve the structural integrity
of aging chimneys, and are permanent
liners suitable for all fuels.
Fireclay flue liners should be laid
in medium-duty, non-water soluble
refractory mortar that limits the
air space around the flue.
You don’t want more than an
inch or two of space, especially in
earthquake zone areas because of the
potential for shifting and spilling
flue gasses into the home. The
flue gases are acidic in nature and
literally eat away at the mortar
joints from inside the chimney. As
the mortar joints erode, heat
transfers more rapidly to the nearby
combustibles and dangerous gases
such as carbon monoxide can leak
into the living areas of the home.
Always go for
professional help whenever you want
a flue liner repaired. They are the
ones who are armed with all the
necessary information on how to do
it, and how to do it according to
the law. For example, the liner must
extend 8 inches or more from the top
of the fireplace’s smoke chamber and
it can have a slope of no greater
than 30 degrees.
This is just one of many codes that
must be met.
Doing it yourself could prove to be
dangerous as you may not have the
necessary tools or knowledge or
experience.
- Chimney Cap
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- We believe that ALL chimneys should have a cap properly installed because they keep everything in its place to prevent a house fire; the interior embers and soot stay in the chimney and any outside debris stays out of your chimney. Installing a cap is the most affordable way to avoid costly repairs down the road. First, they keep fire embers from landing on your roof and starting a fire. They also keep leaves and nesting animals from entering your chimney and creating a fire hazard. Finally, they prevent wind and rain from entering your chimney and potentially spreading smoke and soot into your house. Trapped rain or snow can cause water damage inside your chimney and lead to chimney deterioration. A chimney cap is a great way to improve a drafting issue, should you notice a foul odor from your fireplace entering your home.
- There are many sizes and types of chimneys and an equal amount of variety when it comes to caps so your first step in identifying the proper cap must be to identify the size and type that you need.
- Identify the type of chimney you
have:
o Single Flue Chimneys With Extended Flues (most common)
o Single Flue Chimneys Without Extended Flues
o Multi Flue Chimneys With or Without Extended Flues
o Round Metal Chimneys
Single Flue Chimneys with Extended Flues extend out of the chimney allowing you to screw your chimney cap to the ceramic or clay flue. You will need to measure the width and length of the outside dimensions of the flue to get a proper fit. Most single flue caps on the market will require you to have your measurements and will fit within a range of sizes. Depending on the length of the screws the cap will fit a range of different flue sizes.
Single Flue Chimneys without Extended Flues do not extend, they are flush with the crown or chimney top. You will need to use a secure bracket that will extend down into the flue and grip or bolt to the sides. Measure the width and length of the opening itself. Most single flue caps will require you to have your measurements and fit within a range of sizes. Caps with screws on the outside will still work well even though you are fitting them to the inside opening of the flue. You will need to measure the inside dimensions of the flue opening (length and width). Next you will match these measurements to the range of sizes given by a specific chimney cap and order the corresponding brackets.
Multi Flue Chimneys With or Without Extended Flues have two or more flues at varying heights extending from your chimney. You will need to measure the total outside width and length of the combined flues as well as how high the highest one extends out of the chimney. You will need to then choose a cap that will not only cover all of your flues, but also fit your chimney and clear the top of the flues with the lid. The screen height is very important since you are mounting this to the chimney crown. You want at least 5" of clearance from the top of the flue to the top of the cap to provide a proper draft.
Round Metal Chimneys are available in three common varieties. The double-wall solid-pack insulated chimney pipe, the double-wall air-insulated chimney pipe, and the triple-wall air-insulated chimney pipe. To determine which style you have, take a look down the pipe itself. If you are looking at double-wall pipe there will be two pipes, an inside pipe and an outside pipe. While looking in between the two pipes you will see either a metal cap blocking your view, an insulation type material, or nothing but air. If it is capped or has insulation in it, it is solid-pack insulated chimney pipe. If it has nothing but air it is air-insulated chimney pipe. Triple wall pipe is almost always air-insulated. First, measure the diameter of the inner pipe. The inner diameter is the measurement used to order the cap. Next, measure the diameter of the outer pipe. The outer pipe needs to be covered by the bottom ring of the cap to keep out rain however it does not hurt if the outer pipe is overlapped by the cap. As long as the outer diameter pipe is covered rain cannot get in. If you are working with triple wall air-insulated pipe, you can ignore the middle pipe and follow the same steps as the double wall insulated pipe. The inner diameter is the measurement used to order the cap and the outer pipe needs to be covered to keep out rain.
Once you have identified the proper size and type cap that you need you can go to any of these fine online stores and order a custom cap: Northline Express, efireplacestore.com or Amazon.com. The actual repair of the chimney cap takes very little time. However, it involves a lot of preparation beforehand to provide the proper cap which will match your chimney and last for a long period of time.
If all these steps seem like a lot of work or you are in doubt of your ability to install the cap to the proper safety standards, your professional chimney sweep is happy to replace the chimney cap to the correct specifications. Your sweep will ensure correct dimensions, style and thickness which should ideally be more than 4 inches in order to prevent cracking. Also, your sweep will see to it that the chimney cap is extended by at least 2.5 inches on all sides and that the cap slopes away from the flue on each and every side. This slope is essential for reducing turbulence from wind and also water. Once the cap is in its proper place, and care is done to make sure there are no cracks in your mortar joints or liner, the forming is done to cast the cap in place. If discussed as part of the deal, your professional sweep can also coat the cap with water repellent to prevent water saturation and also freeze/thaw deterioration. You now have a professionally installed cap that is safe, keeping the right materials in and out, and aesthetically pleasing. - Chimney Roof Brace
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- Usually additional support is required above the roof if the chimney pipe height exceeds 4 feet. Metal chimneys more than 5 feet tall require bracing that connects the chimney to the building. You need a roof brace especially if you live in an area where snow and ice can accumulate on the roof, the weight from heavy snow can easily bend or break your pipe. We suggest a support band with guy wires that is installed with a silicone pad and nailed to your roof. There are many varieties available online and your professional sweep can recommend and install the proper roof brace for you.
- Chase Top
- Prefabricated chimney chase tops are usually made of lower quality material than masonry chimneys and have a shelf life that will need to be replaced after a few years. The reason why is because the materials such as stainless steel, copper, aluminum, galvanized metal, and galvanized paint grip metal can develop rust and once the tiniest hole exists in a chimney top, it runs the risk of water damage. Rusty or leaking chimney chase tops would need to be fully replaced with new ones because of the fire hazard they present. Most often, homeowners opt to purchase the same make and model they had prior, but if you want a different quality or size of chase used, your sweep will have to take measurements and order a new one.
- You can discuss all the pros and cons of each material with the chimney sweep company you hire before deciding which material to use in your chimney but here are some basics. Chase tops made of galvanized steel are quite economical, but they have the tendency to rust quickly and would need to be replaced in a few years. Aluminum covers do not rust, but are not sturdy enough to suit some harsh weather environments. Covers made of copper are by far the most expensive, being of the highest quality. The type you use depends on the weather conditions in your area and your sweep will be able to assist in this choice further.