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29 June 2014

When Do You Need A Chimney Restoration Northern Virginia Contractor?

By Marci Glover


You will need to properly inspect, clean, and restore defects in chimneys to ensure it is fire risk free, healthy, as well as secure. Likewise, a poorly built chimney can turn out to be the origin of many home problems such as poor health, darkening of walls, as well as possible fires. A chimney restoration northern Virginia contractor can help you restore your structure to its best condition.

With properly built and maintained chimneys, homeowners no longer have to worry about eruption of fire perils or deterioration of the structures. Due to constant use and exposure to weather elements, chimneys will develop problems such as cracks on bricks and mortar, wearing of flue linings, and misalignment of the structures. The flue restoration procedures be challenging if its design, installation, and maintenance is poor.

Many chimneys malfunction due to their improper size and lack of attention to cleaning. This arises from the fact that some chimneys are too small or too large to maintain adequate draft. Also, when obstructions such as bird nests, broken bricks, and ice block the pathways, the chimneys may become dysfunctional. Corrosion is also a common pitfall resulting from poor construction and installation of chimneys.

During the frosty weather spells, cracks are a common phenomenon understandably due to the cold climate. Weak chimneys walls hence suffer greatly and may stumble badly. Chimneys structures built on weak foundation may bend, lean, or even curl eventually giving birth to cracks in the mortar joints. Literally, movements may be initiated leading to crumbling of your structure eventually.

If the chimney stack sides are flashed inappropriately, and the mortars are open haphazardly, be sure to see cracks forming in your structure. Needless to say, stacks constructed in freezing climates usually have this setback at hand. One other reason for a defective flue stack is the mode of the smokestack development. A flue structure set on a weak foundation is most likely susceptible to leaning, bending, or even curling.

In case the chimneys have thin flue, hot air will be impeded from rising causing the interior to heat up rapidly. The air will therefore descend on the residents in the house leading to rise in temperatures around. When the fireplace cools, the walls will contract. A series of heating and contractions of the wall makes the structure to crack.

Another causal agent of cracks on walls is mechanical damage resulting from earth tremors, stress from chimney mounted antennas, or even blasts from surrounding grounds. With time, you will notice a trail of cracks on walls of flues. In the chimney cap for example, the effect will be clearly noticed. Note that whenever there is a missing or a damaged cap, what will result are leakages as well as rust formation especially on the metal frames.

Old smokestacks and which cleaning has not being conducted on them may turn out to be potential fire hazard sites. The deep heavy soot accumulating on surfaces may lead to fires. Moreover, when these chimneys are damaged, broken, and faulty, they become real fire hazards by leaking combustion gases into other parts of a building.




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