Your chimney is a vital part of your home. Without it, using your fireplace wouldn’t exactly be possible or safe. But even with a chimney in your home, you might encounter problems. Those problems are often going to require expert chimney repair in St. Paul, MN.
We encourage everyone to schedule a chimney inspection each year. This is because it gives you and your technician a chance to find these issues and address them early. But, even if you didn’t schedule an inspection this season, our team is still here to help.
Here are some common chimney repairs that people throughout the area find themselves facing.
1. Spalling bricks
Over time, your chimney may start to have problems with spalling bricks. These are bricks that start to peel apart and can fall out of the overall masonry-work in the chimney. Obviously, it isn’t good to have bricks falling out of your chimney around your house. This is also bad news because it can lead to airflow issues in your chimney.
2. A tilting chimney
When you look at your chimney does it look like it is leaning a little more to one side than before? You may have a tilting chimney on your hands! You’ll probably notice this issue pops up at the same time as spalling brickwork. This can cost you the entirety of your chimney if not addressed soon enough so if things look off-kilter, make sure to reach out ASAP.
3. A bad flue
Have you noticed problems with bad smells from your chimney or backdrafts that leave you coughing? These may indicate a problem in your flue. The flue may have built-up creosote in it that stinks up the house when you start a fire. Or leaks in the flue may allow for changes or problems with airflow out of the house.
4. A broken damper
The damper in your chimney keeps cold air out of the house when closed and allows hot smoke and gas out of the house when it is open. A broken damper may not be able to be opened or closed. Likewise, it may not close fully, leaving you cold and uncomfortable throughout the season.
5. A broken or damaged chimney cap
Last but certainly not least, there is a chance that you have a chimney cap that is in bad condition. Years of wear and tear from the elements can break down your chimney cap. This can lead to cracks in the cap or even just cause it to fall apart, allowing cold air, animals, debris, and even rain to enter your chimney.
As you can see, there is more than one problem that a chimney can encounter. Whether it is due to heavy use of the fireplace or wear and tear created by the weather, your chimney will eventually need a repair. The important thing to remember here is that we are only a call or click away.
All you need to do when you start to notice trouble with your chimney is to contact a professional chimney technician to fix things back up.