When you stop to think about it, the possibility of water damaging your masonry chimney makes sense. In fact , it’s the only piece of your house that sticks up past the roof line where it takes the brunt of rain and snow storms. Without protection, you could end up with serious damage meaning an expensive overhaul. Therefore , having your chimney waterproofed seems a little price to pay for averting this gigantic expense. Besides, you want your chimney to look nice instead of being a blemish on the top of your house where everyone can see it.

Prior to waterproofing, make sure that all of the joints in the mortar are good. Cracks or chunks missing may mean you have to have some tuckpointing work done ; if you only have minor cracks, it is possible to brush on a special kind of caulk that will fill the cracks to prevent them from further water damage. Even without cracks, masonry materials are porous and can absorb plenty of water. This absorption can result in moisture dribbling to the interior of your chimney. Eventually, the integrity of your chimney will go to pot.

Naturally, you need to deal with the issue before any heavy damage can take place. This means that you should waterproof a new chimney right away and repeat the procedure per the time table advocated on the package. If you purchase an older home, however, you need to make sure that the chimney has been maintained correctly to ensure against major repairs. Actually, it wouldn’t hurt to ask to inspect the chimney before you purchase a house now that you know how expensive reconstructing a chimney can be.