Causes of Chimney Leaks and What to Do About Them

Listed are the five main reasons that a chimney leaks.  If your leak cannot be traced to one of these five items then the leak probably is not coming from the chimney. A Qualified Chimney Leak Repair Business in Vancouver can help with effective diagnosis and resolution of any of these challenges.

1)      Rain going directly down the chimney is the simplest cause of a chimney leak.  Chimneys without covers get a lot of rain falling straight down into them. A chimney cover makes sense as it keeps the rain out along with keeping out birds, animals and debris.  

Solution:  Install a chimney cover. A qualified Chimney Leak Repair Business in Vancouver will make sure you get a cover that is best suited to your chimney's structure.

2)      A crack in the chimney crown will cause a chimney to leak.  Cracks in the chimney crown occur from shifting of the structure or from extreme temperature changes. When a crown has cracks, water goes right through those cracks.

Solution:  Depends on the severity of the crack.  Once chimney crown damage is significant, the only fix it is to remove and relay the masonry. This is no DIY job. Best to call in the Chimney Leak Repair Professionals to make sure it's done properly.

3)      Condensation – chimneys leaking from the inside out.  Gas fumes have a low temperature and a lot of moisture in them. When these fumes condense on the inside of a too-large, too-cold old chimney, the fumes literally soak the bricks and keep them moist all the time. 

Solution:  A chimney liner is sometimes all it takes to solve this problem. 

4)      Chimney flashing – keeps water from going into the place where the brick structure comes through the roof or close to the roof. A gap between the bricks and the roof causes leaks.

Solution:  Resealing the flashing quite often solves this problem.

5)      Leaking bricks - Bricks and mortar pass water. The problem here is the freezing and thawing all winter which results in damage that causes leaks.

Solution: Waterproof your chimney.

In Vancouver, whatever the problem with your leaking chimney, contact a qualified Chimney Leak Repair Business to make sure that the problem is properly diagnosed and that the most appropriate and suitable solution is put into effect. Chimney leaks, when they are not addressed, can lead to greater, more expensive, more dangerous structural damage.