While a chimney and a fireplace can bring a lot of warmth and coziness to a home, an improperly-maintained chimney can also bring a lot of water in the house. This could lead to extensive water damage or even mold growth, requiring expensive repairs and time spent removing mold. So what do you do if you’ve already spotted a water leak in your chimney? Read on for tips on how to fix chimney leaks so you can protect your home.
Search for the leak
You’ll first want to inspect the chimney to isolate the actual leak location. Check for wet and swollen drywall around the chimney area or other water-related markings on the materials around the chimney. Oftentimes, the simplest cause will be a faulty chimney cap, so you may want to go on the roof to look for cracks and holes in your chimney cap. Furthermore, inspect the flashing on the bottom of your chimney as that will prevent any water from leaking from where the chimney meets the roof.
If you chimney is brick or stone, you’ll also need to check that the mortar is still intact around all of the bricks. If you see any holes or extensive damage, you may have found your water leakage source.
Chimney Cap Leaks
If you’ve determined the source of the water leak to be a cracked chimney cap, you have two options: You can either replace the entire cap with a new, waterproof one, or you can have a copper cap fitted on top of the old cap. This will also need to be waterproof.
Brick Leaks
If the problem was found in the mortar or the bricks in your chimney, then the first thing you’ll want to do is plug up any cracks and holes with caulking. Then you’ll want to reapply a masonry, waterproofing coating on the brick to ensure that your chimney doesn’t leak again.
Flashing Leak
Poorly-installed or maintained flashing can also be a serious water leakage source. If you found the flashing to be the primary issue, you’ll most likely want to hire a professional roofer for this repair. Improperly installed flashing can lead to even more water leakage and disastrous results.
Find A Quality Roofer
Fixing that chimney leak quickly can really mitigate a lot of water damage and potential mold as well, so get the leak fixed as soon as possible. If you’re looking for a roofer, Talk Local can connect with up to three, high-quality, local, professional roofers in just minutes, for free!
