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Top Tips on How to Know When Your Vancouver Chimney Needs Repointing
Posted by Tim Wong on Mar. 8, 2016
Being in such a vulnerable position on the top of your house, your chimney is not only exposed to the harsh elements of wind, rain and sun, but it is also out of sight and is therefore often neglected. However, ensuring that your chimney is in prime working condition and that all of the brickwork is undamaged should be a top priority for homeowners everywhere.
Identifying Damages
Damage to the mortar joints of your Vancouver chimney stack is likely to be caused by weathering and erosion and is therefore difficult to prevent. Furthermore, the natural ageing process of the brickwork may be enough to cause small cracks to appear in the mortar joints. If there are visibly loose bricks, damaged masonry or cracked mortar joints on your chimney, it is highly recommended that you call in a specialist to repoint the brickwork.
Repointing involves having service providers for chimney repairs in Vancouver remove the damaged areas and replacing them with new mortar that is perfectly matched to the colour and texture of the existing structure. This ensures that the end result closely resembles the original appearance of your chimney.
The Need for Immediate Repair
Without taking immediate action after identifying chimney damage, the mortar joints will deteriorate even more and serious problems can develop such as water penetration and instability. Water penetration occurs when rainwater enters small cracks that appear in the brickwork. This often leads to more significant damage such as frost weathering that can in turn lead to further deterioration and disintegration.
If neglected, the damage may well result in the complete collapse of your chimney stack. Falling bricks and debris can cause potentially serious accidents, not to mention high repair costs, so hire a chimney repair company such as Consumers Choice Roofing and Drainage without delay and prevent unnecessary disasters caused by a collapsing chimney stack.
Most reputable roofing and construction companies will come and inspect your property before carrying out any work. This is good as sometimes the visible damage is a sign of other underlying problems that won’t be easily solved with repointing alone. It may be that due to damage to the mortar joints, your chimney will require more specialist care and repair.
Source:
Restoring Chimneys. Homebuilding & Renovating.
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