How to Maintain and Repair Your Chimney

Make your chimney last for decades with a few hours of simple maintenance

Time

A few hours

Complexity

Intermediate

Introduction

Cracks and spalling in a brick chimney can become worse fast, simply the fix is easy if yous practice it in time. Two pros share maintenance tips that will go on your chimney solid for the life of the house.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Brushable crown sealer
  • Chimney cap
  • Disposable gloves
  • Duct tape
  • Water repellent

Chimney basics

Chimney inspection

cracks Family Handyman

The cracks in this chimney crown have reached a critical signal. If non sealed soon, they'll destroy the crown and eventually the chimney.

Virtually homeowners never recollect nearly masonry chimney maintenance across the occasional flue cleaning. But ignoring your chimney can price you big-time. A cracked chimney crown or spalling bricks can easily cost $1,000 to repair. And, if left untreated, the damage tin accelerate quickly, and cost you up of $three,000.

It doesn't have to be that fashion. Past simply sealing the bricks and the crown and calculation a chimney cap, you'll greatly extend your chimney's life. The materials cost less than $300, and y'all can complete all 3 procedures in simply a few hours. You'd pay a pro about $one,000 to practise all iii, so the savings is huge.

You'll have to climb upwardly on your roof twice (once to measure the flue liner to order the correct chimney cap and once to perform the procedures). And, you must be able to safely reach the chimney crown from your roof. If you can't reach the chimney crown, accept a very steep roof pitch or aren't comfortable working on your roof, call a pro. If you determine you tin can handle the heights, make certain you lot wearable a safety harness.

Meet the Pros

Family Handyman

Jim Smart has owned Smart Sweep Chimney Service for xiv years. He and his son, Jesse, are certified professional chimney sweeps. Together, this male parent/son team inspects, cleans and repairs chimneys in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. In addition to his chimney sweep certifications, Jim holds a certificate in forensic chimney burn down assay. In other words, Jim understands how chimneys work and fail. He's a pro's pro.

Project Details

Brushable crown sealer, $60

Chimney water repellent, $35

Garden pump sprayer, $35

Stainless steel chimney cap, $125

Tarps, duct record, paintbrush

Project step-by-step (4)

Stride 1

Starting time at the chimney crown

Employ the kickoff coat of chimney sealer past paw

sealer

Scoop upwards a handful of the sealer and wipe it onto the crown. Force the sealant into the cracks and into the crown-to-brick seam.

Step 2

Even out the chimney sealer

brush

Stroke the moisture sealant with a brush to level the high and low spots and create a shine surface.

Masonry chimneys are capped with a mortar 'crown' to prevent water from getting behind the bricks and alongside the flue, and into the house. Over time, normal expansion and contraction cycles can crusade cracks to form, as shown above. Sealing the chimney crown with crown sealer, a flexible elastomeric coating, is the best way to terminate existing cracks from spreading and prevent new ones.

Choose a clear or overcast day for the project (no pelting in the forecast for at least four hours). Prepare the crown past cleaning it with a stiff poly or nylon brush. Fill any large cracks with patching cement or 100 pct silicone caulk (they'll cure fifty-fifty after you lot utilize the crown sealer).

Side by side, wrap duct tape all effectually the crown about one/iv in. beneath the edge of the crown-to-brick seam. Press the tape into the vertical brick joints. Then record around each flue liner ane in. in a higher place the crown. Lay canvas (non plastic) tarps effectually the base of the chimney to protect the shingles from crown sealer drips.

Our chimney repair expert applies crown sealer by manus so he can force it into cracks and become the commencement glaze done faster. If you choose that method, merely slip on a dispensable glove and apply the sealer (Photograph 1). (One brand is Chimney RX Brushable Crown Repair; sold by the gallon at saversystems.com) Cover the entire crown and so smooth it with a paintbrush (Photo ii). Expect until the sealer dries tacky to the bear on, then apply a 2d coat with a castor. Clean upwards with water.

Step 3

Seal the chimney bricks

Spray the brick with h2o repellent

Spray

Start at the bottom of the chimney and spray the brick until the excess repellent runs down about 8 in. below the spray line. Piece of work your way up to the top. Apply a second coat within five minutes using the same technique.

Once the crown sealer feels dry to the touch (30 to threescore minutes), remove the duct record just leave the roof tarps in identify. Then mask off any painted chimney flashings before applying the water repellent. Spray on the repellent (one brand is Chimney RX Masonry Chimney Water Repellent; sold at saversystems.com) with a low-pressure, garden pump sprayer (Photograph three).

Step iv

Finish it off with a chimney cap

Install the cap

cap

You lot don't want animals getting into your chimney. Gear up the cap (see chimney cap cost in a higher place) over the flue liner and secure it with screws. Tighten until snug, but no more. Excessive pressure tin scissure the clay liner.

A chimney cap keeps water and critters out of your flue and extends flue life. Many codes require a mesh cap, so check before buying. Chimney good Jim Smart recommends spending extra to get a stainless steel cap because it will last much longer than the galvanized blazon. One source for stainless steel caps is efireplacestore.com

Yous'll need the outside dimensions of the flue liner to get the correct size cap for your chimney. Then install it on the flue liner (Photo four).