How Does Water & Moisture Lead to Chimney Damage?

Excluding natural disasters, a chimney's true nemesis is moisture which can quickly get into your chimney due to a damaged or missing chimney cap, or a chimney crown that's cracked and compromised by age or weather.

Back in grade school, you may recall that when water freezes, it expands and takes up more space than it does in its liquid form. The same thing happens if moisture has gotten inside your masonry. It begins freeing, thawing, and refreezing with the seasons. This constant expansion and contraction of water will eventually cause damage that requires chimney repair services.

Rain, snow, water - any moisture can destroy your chimney in various ways. For example, it can mix with creosote to create a foul odor, cause the damper assembly to rust or malfunction, damage the metal or masonry firebox assembly, crack or break the exterior mortar and masonry, leave water stains on a home's ceiling or walls, cause the chimney liner to crack rot weaken, or even destroy the structural integrity of your chimney.

As you can see, any damage to your chimney should not be taken lightly. At the first sign of trouble, call Cornerstone Masons at (859) 385-5006 in Lexington KY to diagnose the issue and provide expert chimney repairs.