How to Repair a Leaky Chimney 

Are you thinking of how to repair a leaky chimney? Well, you’re reading the right article! As long as you follow the chimney repair method that will be discussed later in this article, you’ll face no major problem fixing chimney leaks. 

Chimney leaks leave holes on the chimney and these holes serve as passages to pests and dirt of different types. Chimneys have a common central idea when it comes to designing, all types of chimneys require a hole in your home.

If the chimneys are not properly installed into these holes, they could cause water leaks into homes. Many homeowners carry out ad-hoc repairs when they notice a leak in their chimney, but these repairs last for only a short period. 

The secret to an excellent chimney leak repair is having a full understanding of what these leaks cause and introduce repairs that are friendly to the causes.

Before we go into details of how to repair a leaky chimney, let’s discuss how to find leaks around chimneys.

Finding Leaks Around Chimneys

Water leak problems are the most common chimney leaks problems, so that’s where our focus will be. The first step in finding a water leak problem around your chimney is a rigorous inspection.

Run a full check on your chimney focusing more on areas exposed to rain. 

You should also look out for gaps and cracks on your chimney but if these gaps and cracks aren’t exposed to rain you shouldn’t bother about them as they can’t be the cause of water leak issues. Focusing more on areas that are exposed to rain allows you to put maximum effort exactly where it’s needed.

Fixing a Chimney Leak Problem

The best chimney leak repair method might require you to get on your home’s roof. However, if this isn’t a problem, you can easily carry out a chimney leak repair by simply following the guide below:

• Step 1: Cap Installation – Measure the chimney’s flue tile, purchase a chimney cap that best fits the size, and install it with fasteners. Make sure the fasteners are firm.
• Step 2: Fix the Chimney Crown: There’s a high probability that the chimney crown would be affected in a chimney leak case. Fix any damage on the crown using elastomeric products or install a new one using a quality cement mix and rebar.
• Step 3: Brick and Mortar Repair- water leaks tend to damage breaks. When fixing a chimney leak, it’s essential to either replace or repair the brick temporarily using a clear painter’s caulk.
• Step 4: Flashing Repair- Flashing gets damaged by harsh weather conditions. Temporary repair of flashing isn’t advisable as it can easily be damaged by harsh weather conditions. Removing and replacing bad flashing is the best move.
• Step 5: Ensure Good Flashing Installation– Bad installation of flashing can ruin the whole chimney leak repair operation. See to it that either you or the expert that carries out the flashing replacement also changes the shingles and tar papers.
• Step 6: Missing Crickets– A large percent of Chimney leak issues are from crickets. Carry out a full installation of damaged crickets and make sure to carry out a brief water leak test after installation because cricket installation most times suffer minor error.
• Step 7: Chimney Gas Condensation Verification– Having fixed all the possible damages listed above, the last action is to verify if the chimney has a gas setup venting through it. Make sure the chimney has a proper gas vent because the lack of a chimney vent could cause the accumulation of water in the chimney.