3 Common Problems with Chimneys and How We Can Help
A chimney is an indispensable part of your home as it functions in connection to your fireplace of or cooking equipment. Chimneys are built to direct toxic fumes into the open air. Wood burning from the furnace and heat coming from the stove emit harmful gases into the air.
To prevent combustion and keep people from inhaling poisonous gases, it is crucial to understand how the chimney works, the materials used in its construction, and how it is maintained. Combined with compatibility with the home or building design, roof builders ensure that chimneys are built using durable materials, which are highly resistant to corrosion and combustion.
The outer structure of the chimney is made of bricks, sometimes stone, and it is designed to complement the roof. The flue, or duct or pipe, represents the main tube that leads all the way up the roof.
The primary function of a chimney is to isolate hot gases or smoke coming from the fireplace, boiler, or stove so that the air within the home is conducive for humans. One of the things you should look into if you have a chimney is to expect common problems. Thereby, the maintenance of chimney is essential.
What are the common issues of chimneys that should be addressed?
Creosote
One of the reasons why chimneys’ vents fail is because of creosote buildup along the duct. All smoke coming from wood burning goes up the chimney. Too much smoke creates creosote. Creosote is the term used for the black tar and soot (carbon powder) that accumulate on the flue. Creosote is a highly flammable deposit and often cause chimney fires. Chimneys not correctly maintained due to blocked vent caused by thick creosote can also cause carbon monoxide dispersed around the home.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless but a flammable, non-irritating gas that can kill.
What do we do?
Roofers, who cover chimney repairs and maintenance, do professional cleaning by sweeping creosote from the flue. Our team in Birmingham Roofers have the necessary equipment to do this tough job. It takes the skill of someone to clean the vent and check the overall health of the flue lining.
Flue damage
The flue absorbs the creosote and waste fumes that the chimney releases. The duct should be built a highly durable lining to resist the pressure from heat and stress. A durable lined flue is made with a stainless steel lining to prevent damage. Since the lining is seldom checked or replaced, regular inspection should be conducted to ensure that it is still good to function. If the flue lining is no longer intact, as is the case with clay tile linings, the flue will fail over time, leaving the chimney useless and the lives inside the homes unprotected.
Chimneys with damaged flue are not to be used. Call your reliable roofer to fix or replace the lining of the flue, check for cracks caused by fire, and if these cracks could enable the fire to reach flammable parts of your house. Also, carbon monoxide emission and dispersion throughout the home is toxic.
Blockage
Smoke from clogged chimneys would not be to release into the air. What cause chimney blockage? Since the tip of the fireplace goes past beyond the level of the roof (the chimney looks like a small tower or lighthouse in some homes and has a wide opening but with a cover). Often you will find birds’ nest, fallen and dried leaves, animal pests on chimney ducts, causing a major blockage and preventing the heat from coming out. And if the creosote buildup is too thick, it will constrict the passage of gaseous waste.
Add to these common chimney problems can be more than you can ever think. While the chimney is an opening, even if it is built with a tight covering on top, its integrity is open to compromise due to many factors.
Problems on the brickworks or masonry are also imminent, even if the mortar can last for many years. Mortar is used as a binder in building blocks, such as bricks and other masonry products. Mortar fills and seals the gaps to keep the blocks intact. If the filling cracks or the masonry fails, that’s where you are going to have another problem.
Birmingham Roofers have handled a wide variety of roofing projects, in which chimney repair and brickworks are some of them. Contact us today and let our team conduct an inspection on your broken chimney. Give us a call or visit our website and fill in the contact form so we can determine what kind of problem we need to fix.
