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Chimney Repair NJ: Know When Your Chimney Needs Repair

With the holidays fast approaching, the weather will be soon reminding you that winter has arrived. When winter does arrive, you will want to be sure that your home is ready to keep you and your family warm on those chilly nights. One step you will want to take to ensure that your home is ready for winter is to inspect your chimney for signs that it may be in need of repair. While many families rely on their home’s fireplace in order to keep them warm throughout winter, these homeowners may give little thought to the condition of their fireplace and chimney. However, it is important to periodically inspect your fireplace and chimney for signs that it may be in need of repair. Here are a few of the signs you can look out for during your inspections that can indicate that you may need chimney repair in NJ.

Damaged Mortar Joints

The first place you will want to look for damage is the mortar joints on your chimney. Cracks in your mortar joints, or even missing pieces of masonry in these joints, are clear signs that your chimney is in need of repair. Any damage to your chimney’s mortar joints not only indicates the deteriorating on your chimney, but these damaged sections can also allow moisture into your chimney. Over time, this can cause these cracks to expand, jeopardizing the structural integrity of your chimney, and potentially causing it to collapse. Thusly, you should have your chimney repaired at the first sign of mortar joint damage before the problem worsens.

Efflorescence

As previously mentioned, water damage can have a major impact on your chimney’s structural integrity, and is primarily what you will want to look for when inspecting your chimney. One of the easiest signs of water damage to detect is efflorescence. Efflorescence is the white discoloration that can appear on your chimney. Many homeowners will be tempted to simply clean this white residue off; however, doing so does not solve the moisture problem that is causing the efflorescence in the masonry. Having your chimney inspected and repaired is the only way to solve this problem, and to ensure the structural integrity of your home’s chimney.

Rusted Firebox or Damper

While rust in your chimney can be hard to detect, this is an important thing to look for in your chimney inspections. The presence of rust in your chimney indicates that there is too much moisture on the inside of your chimney. This excess moisture can lead to problems such as cracked flue tiles, and damage to your flue lining. It is thusly important that you have your flue inspected as soon as possible after discovering rust in your chimney, as damage to your flue can ultimately cause a house fire.

Chimney Crown Damage

While checking your chimney crown for signs of damage will require you to go on your roof, this is a vital part of your chimney inspection. This is due to the fact that the chimney crown provides the first line of defense against weather. If the chimney crown is cracked or damaged in any way, this can allow moisture to seep between the chimney and the flue lining, which can lead to many of the serious complications previously mentioned above.

Knowing the signs to look out for that can indicate damage to your homes chimney is vital in ensuring the structural integrity of your chimney. Taking the time to inspect your chimney now will give you the time to have any necessary repairs performed before winter arrives. Do not hesitate; if you believe that your chimney may be damaged, contact us at 888-399-0955 to find out about having professional chimney repair in NJ for your home.