Whenever our chimney experts at Ace Chimney Sweeps are inspecting a chimney, we are looking for any possible problems that could cause your fireplace and chimney system to be unsafe to use. One of these problems that we have discovered over our years as chimney inspectors are rotted steel fireboxes. The homeowners have often been surprised at this damage, but, even though steel can be very durable as a material for a firebox, it can also rot from prolonged exposure to water. You may have heard us quote the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) when we say that water is the greatest enemy of a chimney. Water not only damages the masonry materials but also the components of the chimney itself, including the firebox. A rotted firebox can lead to hazardous situations such as sparks flying out or the poisonous gas, carbon monoxide, leaking into your home. If your steel firebox is suffering from rotting, we can not only repair or replace that firebox, but we can also prevent water from getting back into your chimney to cause more damage. We would like to tell you about how we can stop water leaks.
Chimney Caps
Recommended by the CSIA as the least expensive way to prevent water penetration of a chimney, a chimney cap is installed at the top of the chimney to cover it and keep water out of it. Ace Chimney Sweeps will take measurements of the opening of your chimney to ensure proper fit and installation. We can custom make chimney caps in both stainless steel and copper. Not only will you be protected from water leaks with one of our caps, but you will also be safe from birds and animals trying to nest in your chimney. Chimney caps can also keep sparks and burning embers from jumping out of your chimney to possibly ignite a fire on a roof, tree, or yard.
Flashing
The sheet metal that wraps around your chimney at the roof to form a watertight seal, flashing is an excellent preventive measure against water leaks. You can trust Ace Chimney Sweeps to do a completely customized job by taking precise measurements and creating custom sheet metal work to construct all of the pieces needed to wrap around all of the angles of where your chimney intersects with your roof. We then layer these pieces by weaving some pieces into the shingles, folding some pieces along the side of the chimney, and embedding some pieces into mortar. You are guaranteed superior protection from water penetration with a customized flashing system from Ace Chimney Sweeps.
Waterproofing
For the ultimate protection against water penetrating into your chimney, a waterproofing treatment from Ace Chimney Sweeps involves an application of Chimney Saver’s Water Repellent to the bricks and mortar of your chimney to prevent water from entering those masonry materials. We use this brand of waterproofing because it comes with a 10-year warranty, is 100% vapor permeable, and is water-based and environmentally friendly. It has also been proven to reduce water penetration into masonry by 99.9%.
If you have noticed signs of your firebox rotting, contact Ace Chimney Sweeps. We can make the necessary repairs and then protect the components of your chimney from receiving more water penetration damage.