Professional Care for Your Home’s Chimney

Connecticut homeowners should have their chimney inspected once a year and cleaned as needed, especially before the heating season. If you use your fireplace regularly, annual cleaning is a smart rule of thumb because creosote buildup is highly flammable. The State of Connecticut recommends scheduling chimney cleaning in late spring or early summer so there is time to handle any repairs before fall.

For fireplace chimneys, Brown Roofing recommends a yearly inspection and cleaning whenever soot or creosote buildup is found. For furnace or heating appliance chimneys, have the flue checked annually and cleaned if there are deposits, blockages, moisture issues, or drafting concerns. A professional should remove creosote buildup greater than 1/8 inch.

Chimney masonry cracks are usually caused by Connecticut’s freeze-thaw cycle. Water gets into small openings in the brick, mortar, or crown, then freezes and expands, slowly forcing cracks wider. Age, poor drainage, worn mortar joints, settling, and heat from fireplace or furnace use can also weaken the masonry over time.

Brown Roofing recommends having chimney cracks inspected early, before water damage spreads into the roof, flashing, attic, or interior walls.

A chimney cap helps protect your chimney from rain, snow, leaves, animals, and debris. Without one, moisture can enter the flue and damage the masonry, liner, damper, and surrounding roof area.

At Brown Roofing, we recommend a properly installed chimney cap to help prevent water damage, improve chimney protection, and extend the life of your chimney system.

Winter weather can be tough on chimney masonry. In Connecticut, water can soak into small cracks in the brick, mortar, or crown, then freeze and expand. This freeze-thaw cycle can widen cracks, loosen mortar, and lead to leaks around the chimney and roof flashing. Brown Roofing recommends inspecting chimney issues early, before winter damage turns into a bigger repair.

Warning signs your chimney may need repair include cracked brick or mortar, loose or missing mortar joints, leaning masonry, white staining, rusted flashing, damaged chimney crown, water leaks, and pieces of brick or mortar falling off.

Brown Roofing recommends scheduling a chimney inspection as soon as you notice these signs, before water damage spreads to your roof or home.