A Dry Chimney is Happy Chimney

By George Elias
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22 Oct, 2013
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The Case For Waterproofing Your Chimney

Have you ever driven by an old house and eyed a once-beautiful masonry chimney in horrible disrepair, bricks worn, joints crumbling, dark and light stains blotching the surface? We see that kind of home and think to ourselves, “Time destroyed that chimney.” And that’s at least partly true. But more accurately, in most cases: Water destroyed that chimney.

*Once water makes its way into your chimney, it begins to cause havoc in a number of ways. Stopping it from gaining entry is your best bet*

You’ll hear it from pretty much any chimney professional: Water is your chimney’s worst enemy. We all say it because it’s true. As resilient and durable as bricks and mortar are, water will inevitably take its toll, slowly wearing at surfaces, causing small cracks and then sneaking into those cracks, expanding with the freezing cold and causing once-strong materials to crumble. While Young’s Chimney Service technicians can’t wave a magic wand and make a masonry chimney last forever, we can give your masonry a serious suit of armor in the war against water by applying a chimney waterproofing sealant. It’s a small investment that can make a really big difference in helping your chimney stay strong.

How Chimney Waterproofing Lengthens Your Chimney’s Service Life

Think about a river stone: We know that rocks are plenty strong and plenty durable, but as water rolls over their surfaces steadily through the years, those stones’ edges get worn down, porcelain-smooth. You don’t have a river flowing over your chimney, sure, but rainstorm after rainstorm, you get very much the same effect on your bricks and mortar joints. Instead of a nice smooth stone, though, you have a chimney with recessed mortar joints and spalling brick faces and other problems that lead directly to leaks and water damage in your home.

The application of a waterproofing sealant creates a buffer between the steady wear of water and your masonry chimney. If your masonry is waterproofed while it’s still strong and new, you can expect it to stay that way far, far longer, as the bricks and joints repel moisture. If your masonry is worn and absorbing too much water, you can still extend your chimney’s life (and hold off leaks) with a waterproofing sealant that puts a big pause on that damage.

A Few Things You Might Be Thinking About

Will it change the look of my chimney?

Nope – waterproofing sealant is clear and non-glossy, so once it dries, you won’t notice it visually (though if your chimney could talk, it would doubtlessly say it’s quite happy with its new coat).

How long will waterproofing last?

That’ll always depend on certain variables, but the sealant’s 10-year warranty should make you feel assured that you’ll get a long service life out of it.

I’m worried that you’re slathering some toxic, earth-destroying chemical onto our chimney.

Worry not. We regularly use a great water-based product that does its job well while still being environmentally friendly.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of waterproofing, Young’s Chimney Service technicians can help – just give us a call!