Can A Chimney Leak In NH?

A chimney can most certainly leak! There are many different places that a chimney can leak from too, so it's not always as simple as just installing a chimney cap. A few other places that a chimney can leak from are: the chimney crown, the chimney flashing, the chimney bricks, and from a defective chimney liner. Any one of these areas can cause what appears to be a severe leak, so attacking all of these areas and making sure that they are all watertight and up to today's codes and standards is really the only way to full stop and prevent a chimney leak.

Not having a cap on your chimney will surely let water into the flue, and it will also invite animals into the chimney, but will it cause a leak? Generally, no, but not having a chimney cap can cause saturation at the base of the chimney. There are many benefits to having a chimney cap, though. For example, having a chimney cap can prolong the life of the flue lining systems because there will not be acidic rain running down the flues and washing out the mortar joints in between the flue lining sections. This alone is reason enough to install a chimney cap, not to mention the squirrels, birds, and even racoons that could get into a chimney with no cap, but a lack of a chimney cap will generally not cause a "leaky chimney".

What about chimney flashing? Will a chimney with no or bad chimney flashing leak? A chimney will no or bad chimney flashing will most certainly leak. If a chimney's flashing is bad it can cause water to get into the home. And unfortunately, with most chimneys, the first place the water is going to get into is the attic. Slow leaks in the attic can often go undetected for long periods of time, so it is very important to have your chimney inspected annually by a professional so that you can potentially avoid these types of leaks. Sometimes, the water bypasses the attic and becomes visible on a ceiling. When this happens most people either call a roofer or a chimney company because they know something is leaking. And while it is possible that it is the chimney flashing, there are still other factors that may be coming into play, so just repairing the chimney flashing may not solve the water problem.

Book a NH chimney inspection online at https://www.anythingchimney.com

"I had a chimney cap put on and I had new flashing installed, but my chimney is still leaking!"

Unfortunately, a chimney's flashing is not the be all end all when it comes to chimney leaks. There is still the potential that the chimney crown, the cement slab at the top of the chimney has cracks or gaps, and that those gaps are letting water seep into the chimney structure. This usually will not cause a visible leak on drywall or a ceiling, but can cause saturation at the base of the chimney in the basement in the same way not having a chimney cap might during a particularly heavy storm.

"But my leak is on the drywall, and on my ceiling!"

If the leak on the drywall or ceiling has continued even after having new flashing installed, the likely culprit is either a defective chimney liner or a chimney that is not drying, or a combination of both.

A defective chimney liner that is venting a particularly efficient furnace or boiler can cause a "leak" as well. This is because the excessive moisture produced by the furnace or boiler is saturating the chimney from the inside, and that moisture is then sweating out of the chimney onto any adjacent surface. Often this adjacent surface is drywall.

So, with chimneys, it is often not as simple as one may think to repair a leak. And to guarantee that a leak will stop, there are many different areas that need to be attended to. These areas again are:

• The chimney cap
• The chimney crown
• The chimney flashing
• Waterproofing the chimney bricks
• Repairing defective chimney liners for any main heating systems

When all of these things are done, we can guarantee that the chimney will not be leaking any more. If the leak persists, it is not from the chimney, it is most likely from the roof.