Moisture Damage To A Chimney

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When you read the Chimney Safety Institute of America reports you will become aware that water damage and moisture damage affects chimneys more than a fire does. As bizarre as that sounds it is quite true. Your chimney comes under constant attack from the environment in the form of wind, snow and rain. It is the chimney foundation which is particularly vulnerable to moisture damage because of the temperature changes in the air which cause the materials to expand and contract.

With weather there tends to be a freeze and thaw cycle when the temperature changes throughtout the yearly seasons. In winter time the cold weather will freeze water and create ice. In warmer temperatures this ice will thaw and materials will heat up. It is this constant and repetitive cycle that affects the bricks and other materials of your chimney to expand and contract. When expanding or contracting, the materials change shape which causes an awful lot of stress and allows water to get inside the chimney. Any water that seeps in to the chimney brick will weaken the structure of the chimney.

Boat Moisture Meter

A moisture meter proves itself to be a useful tool when testing the moisture content levels of boat materials. When assessing a boat, care, judgement and experience should all be employed and then the moisture meter used as the last tool to give the final assessment. Wood and fibreglass moisture content tester

Need A Chainsaw For Firewood?

The petrol chainsaw is used to fell trees, as well as for pruning and cutting overgrowth. Tree surgeons favour the petrol chainsaw and use it for cutting away branches and foliage. Cutting firewood

Orchid Moisture Meter

The orchid belongs to a widespread and very diverse family of flowering plants which have fragrant and colourful blooms. Orchids can be found in pretty much every habitat. Growing orchid information

Caravan Moisture Meter

Any caravan that is kept open to the elements all year round can become very susceptible to damp and damp related problems if proper precautions are not taken to prevent this. Caravan moisture content levels

Garden Moisture Meter

The garden moisture meter helps any avid gardener to measure and monitor many different conditions to ensure that they can maintain healthy growing conditions for both indoor as well as outdoor plants. In order to have healthy thriving plants Test your soil moisture content levels

Moisture damage will cause several serious problems to your chimney at its foundations. Bricks will be weakended to the point where they actually begin to break apart and brick chips will fall away from the surface. Any metal surfaces on or within the chimney will rust and disintegrate over time. Water will break down mortar and greatly affect the stability of your chimney as well as causing cracks in the flue liner. And if you do ignore all these symptons of damage and do nothing about them, the moisture will eventually work itself in to the inside of your home causing more damage and the encouragement of mould growth.

One sure way of restricting and trying to prevent moisture damage to your chimney is to install a chimney cap. This chimney cap will sit on top of the chimney and block any water from entering the chimney. As well as this the chimney cap will stop any animals from gaining entry to the chimney and ultimately your home. But do remove the chimney cap just before Christmas or else Santa will not be able to climb down and there will be not presents under your xmas tree. Only joking!

When you are on your roof checking out the status of your chimney you must look at the seal on your chimney. If it looks damaged or worn then it must be replaced with new flashing to create a watertight seal on the edges. It is also recommended that you seal your chimney with a waterproof sealant. Even if water and moisture does manage to get inside your chimney, this sealant will prevent the materials from absorbing the water. A chimney crown is also a good addition to add to your chimney. It will reduce moisture risks by pushing water off the top of the chimney.

When checking out your chimney, if you come across any moss growing on the inside or outside you should contact a chimney specialist. Moss needs high moisture to survive and this is an indication that your chimney does have a moisture issue. You can confirm this by testing all the materials with a suitable moisture meter. Moss on the inside of your chimney is more of a problem than moss on the outside. By having moss on the inside of your chimney shows that a long term moisture issue is present.

Condensation In The Chimney

Any moisture that gets in to your chimney can cause condensation. This in turn will stain the inner walls and make your chimney unstable. An unstable chimney will release harmful gases in to your home and even collapse.

Condensation will be caused if you have insufficient flashing. Flashing is made from a metal such as copper or aluminium and is especially important around the masonry of the chimney to prevent leaks.

The damper on your chimney is not fullt waterproof. It is effective for keeping animals out but it will struggle with rain. Once rain gets in to your chimney there is a risk from condensation.

Your chimney requires adequate ventillation at both the top and bottom to maintain a uniform temperature. Cooler temperatures at the top of your chimney will cause condensation which will mix with the byproducts of the combustion of the chimney. The resulting mix is a creosote that is flammable and can start a fire.

Why Does A Chimney Ice Up ?

The gases produced during combustion of the fire in your fireplace will rise up through the chimney. These gases are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. As they rise up the chimney they begin to cool. As they cool they turn in to condensation which will freeze in cold weather and hence the formation of ice. An ice formation can plug up the entire chimney and the loss of ventillation can result in a number of issues and problems. More soot and smoke will also be created.

Preventing Mould Growth On Chimney Brick

Mould must have oxygen, a food source, specific temperature range and moisture to flourish. A chimney is an ideal source of all of these requirements. So to prevent mould growing on chimney brick one must try several methods.

A good method is to add zinc strips to and around the chimney. When rain mixes with zinc it will prevent mould from growing. It is a relatively inexpensive method and can be done by yourself.

One can purchase commercial products to stop the growth of mold.

It is a good idea to remove any overhanging tree branches in the vicinity of your chimney. Overhanging branches restrict sunlight and also help mould spores to germinate unrestricted.

Carved brick chimneys characteristic of late Gothic Tudor buildings