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Plan for Masonry Repairs This Spring

Winter is not yet over, but the weather will become milder in the next few weeks, and it’s the perfect time to schedule necessary masonry repairs. You might schedule masonry repairs if you’ve noticed damage to the masonry, if a professional made a recommended repair, or if you’re looking to raise value for a refinancing. Repairing the masonry will help your chimney work better, will make it safer, and will improve the exterior look of your chimney.

Plan For Spring Masonry Repairs with Chief Chimney Services

Planning Spring Repairs


First, you need to know what your masonry needs. Schedule a chimney inspection with a certified professional so that you will have a complete report and repair recommendations. Your masonry problems may be minor or major, and need to be assesed as soon as possible. Your chimney professional can help you determine which repairs need to be first.
Second, get ready for your repair. Schedule an appointment with Chief Chimney Services. On the day of your appointment, discontinue use of the fireplace and clear out the area in front of the fireplace opening. Your chimney professional will make the repairs without leaving a mess or damage behind.
Lastly, it’s important to have the financing for your masonry repairs in order before the work begins. If your masonry damage is from a natural occurrence or a fire, your homeowners insurance may cover repairs. Otherwise, you might use your tax refund, savings, or financing from a bank. The repairs we do will be according to code, guaranteed and will be an investment in your property.

Common Masonry Repairs


At Chief Chimney Services, Inc. we see masonry damage during spring for a variety of reasons.

  • Water damage is one of the worst things that can happen to your chimney system. During winter, it is even worse. The water that enters damaged portions of the masonry freezes and expands, breaking apart the mortar. Then it melts and runs further into the damaged masonry. This process, called the freeze/thaw cycle, repeats through winter and leads to serious damage within the masonry. Tuckpointing, a tedious process of removing damaged mortar and replacing it with new mortar, is used to repair the damage.
  • Poor design or incorrect installation can lead to necessary repairs. This problem is most common when a firebox becomes damaged. Have the firebox repaired before using the fireplace to ensure your safety. Chief Chimney can repair the firebox properly by using fire bricks and refractory mortar to keep the fire in its place.
  • Wear and tear causes masonry damage over time. When the masonry becomes cracked, this minor damage can be repaired through simple methods.

Other factors that can lead to masonry damage include, environmental changes such as extreme temperatures and natural disasters. Let Chief Chimney Services maintain your masonry throughout the year, and complete your masonry repairs this spring.

Call Chief Chimney Services today at 631-863-2460 or schedule online.

By John Pilger on February 15th, 2019 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Plan for Masonry Repairs This Spring

Waterproofing and Chimney Leaks

Spring weather usually brings us lots of rain. We all know April showers bring May flowers, so we must all do our best to prepare the chimney system from the rain. If rain gets into your chimney, it can do a great amount of damage to your fireplace and structural integrity of your home as well. You can prevent a chimney leak this season by scheduling our waterproofing services right now.Waterproofing and Chimney Leaks - Suffolk NY - Chief Chimney Services

Waterproofing Explained

As soon as you schedule a waterproofing appointment, we will begin a thorough inspection of your entire chimney system. We must first do necessary repairs for your chimney, and then your technician can proceed with our waterproofing service. Gaps and cracks will be repaired and necessary parts will be replaced, such as chimney cap and flashing. All of these components of the chimney helps to prevent leaks.

At Chief Chimney Services, we not only offer the best services to the Suffolk County area, but we also offer the best products. We trust in the saving power of ChimneySaver products for all of our waterproofing. ChimneySaver water-repellant products are vapor-permeable, meaning that the masonry is protected from moisture getting in, but the vapors are also able to get out.

This is vital to the proper function of your chimney. Silicone-based sealants and those used by homeowners and handymen, are actually working against your masonry. ChimneySaver water-repellant works FOR your chimney’s masonry to protect it completely, and it also comes with a ten-year warranty!  Schedule your chimney to get waterproofed this spring, and your masonry will be protected for years to come!

The Unprotected Chimney

An unprotected chimney not only inefficient and unsafe, but it will cost you lots of money later on if the issues are neglected. Water penetration is one of the worst things that can happen to your masonry and your home. Chimney leaks can cause the following issues.

  • Rusted parts (accessories, doors, and hinges)
  • Deteriorated parts (wood, walls, ceilings, and floors)
  • Water-stained (ruined walls, floors, furniture)
  • Dirty, clogged, chimney and clean-out area.
  • Damaged heating system
  • Decayed and spalling mortar
  • Collapsed hearth support and chimney structure

The damages caused by a chimney leak will cost you lots of money and give you plenty of headache. You may have a leak in your guest bathroom three rooms away because of your chimney! If you experience a water leak in your house, then you need to call a chimney sweep. A handyman or contractor can repair your damage, but the root issue from the leak won’t be fixed unless you call a chimney sweep. Make sure your chimney system is ready for spring so you don’t get a leak. Call us at 631-863-2460 to get started.

By John Pilger on April 26th, 2018 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on Waterproofing and Chimney Leaks

Chimney Masonry Damage and Repair

Your chimney may be the most important system in your home or business. While the fireplace creates a welcoming ambiance to family, guests, and customers, it is the job of the chimney to keep the building safe, the air unpolluted, and allowing the fire to burn effectively. Your chimney is not only a working system, but it can also be a great cosmetic asset to your property. A long winter can bring lots of damages to the masonry, which will affect the working condition of the chimney and how it looks! If you have masonry damage, it’s time to schedule repairs.Chimney Masonry Damage & Repair - Smithtown NY - Chief Chimney Services, Inc.

Common Masonry Damage

At Chief Chimney Services, we’ve spent the last three decades serving a large area of Suffolk County, Long Island, and New York. Our customers endure long, harsh winters – mineral corrosion due to proximity to the ocean and more. When spring arrives, we receive multitudes of calls about chimney inspections and visual damages that need to be addressed. We always make these repairs promptly, because a small amount of damage today can develop into a devastating structural damage rather quickly.

  • Spalling Masonry – When the mortar of a chimney becomes cracked, it gives space for water to enter and damage the masonry from the inside out. Our solution for spalling masonry is a process called tuckpointing or repointing, in which we remove the affected mortar and bricks, replacing them with new mortar of equal strength, consistency, and color as the existing mortar. This will ensure the repaired masonry is strong and long-lasting. And you will end up with not only a safe but a beautiful chimney!
  • Chimney Leaks – Oftentimes, a chimney leak isn’t noticeable until spring when temperatures begin to rise, which causes the water in the chimney to thaw and move through the masonry. A chimney leak can damage more than just the chimney, but it can also cause ruined walls, floors, furniture, and more! At Chief Chimney Services, we are capable of  diagnose your chimney leaks, repair the damage, and stop the leak! Many chimney sweeping companies, general contractors, and handymen will repair the damage, failing to fix the root of the problems. We repair your leak and then waterproof the chimney for good measures.
  • Flue Fire, Animal Intrusion, Liner Damage – You may have liner damage if you’ve had a flue fire, if an animal has occupied your chimney, or if you’ve noticed pieces of clay tile in your fireplace. If your masonry feels hot to the touch, you may also have a problem with the liner. At Chief Chimney Services, we specialize in chimney relining. We can either replace your liner completely or reline the flue with HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant, the most innovative method to restore or repair your chimney flue.

Whether your chimney damage is a result of a fire, a storm, an earthquake, or merely wear-and-tear over time, Chief Chimney Services can get it back into top shape this spring. Scheduling in the spring means you’ll have plenty of time for an inspection and necessary repairs to get it ready to go for fall. Don’t let spring showers or summer humidity do further damage to your masonry – call Chief Chimney Services at 631-863-2460 or make an appointment online!

By John Pilger on April 10th, 2018 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on Chimney Masonry Damage and Repair

Chimney Care Checklist for Spring

Your chimney should be a priority in your home maintenance checklist this Spring.  Do this every year and you'll have a longer lasting, efficient, and healthy chimney system.

Your chimney should be a priority in your home maintenance checklist this Spring. Do this every year and you’ll have a longer lasting, efficient, and healthy chimney system.

We know how it goes: The weather starts to warm up, and your fireplace and chimney system heads out of your mind. It’s understandable to close your flue for the season and not want to think about your chimney until next fall. But making chimney care and maintenance part of your spring home checklist can make your life easier, and your chimney system perform better.

Here are a few spring chimney checklist suggestions we have at Chief Chimney Services, with a little bit of “why” behind them.

Schedule Your Chimney Sweeping Appointment In The Spring

Every chimney system is different, but one thing we can tell you for sure: If you’ve been using your wood-burning fireplace or stove all fall and winter, your flue has creosote built up on its walls. As you burn wood, heated byproducts rise up to vent through your chimney, and your cooler chimney walls turn some of those gases back into liquid. That liquid layers and layers, and there you have it: creosote.

Ideally, you should have creosote removed during a chimney sweeping appointment before you start using the system over the next heating season. But here’s one reason why we think it’s preferable and better to make that appointment this spring: Your home will smell better all summer. That creosote has a smoky, sooty odor, and the heat and humidity of the summer brings that odor out. If you’ve ever noticed an acrid smell in your home during the summer — even though you haven’t used your fireplace in months — creosote is the source. Having your chimney swept in the spring means nicer-smelling air in the summer.

Schedule Your Annual Chimney Inspection In The Spring Too

To properly maintain your chimney system, an annual chimney inspection is a must. And again, you’ll want to make sure it’s done before you start using your heating appliance when the weather cools again. But there are definite benefits to getting this work done early, in the spring.

First, you’ll catch Chief Chimney Services before our busiest season, which means you’ll have broader options for appointments. But also, when that first cool night comes around, you won’t have anything to think about — your system will already be ready for warm, cozy fires.

Prepare Your System For Spring Rains

A lot of the chimney repairs we do at Chief Chimney are to the parts of your system that are designed to keep moisture out. Water is your chimney’s worst enemy, and we’ll do anything and everything we can to keep it from making its way in.

Moisture and your chimney’s relationship with it is something well worth thinking about in the spring, before the heavy rainy season rolls in. If a small problem in your chimney crown or chimney flashing has developed over the winter, spring rains can lead to chimney leaks and water damage to the interior of your home. Chief Chimney Services technicians can find those issues during a spring chimney inspection, and make any repairs necessary to arm the system against moisture intrusion again.

We can also recommend and apply a specially formulated waterproofing sealant for your masonry chimney that will significantly boost its ability to protect against water. Waterproofing keeps moisture from permeating the masonry itself, which not only keeps water out in the short term, but can protect your bricks and mortar joints in the long term.

If you have any questions about chimney maintenance and care — including making that part of your spring routine — Chief Chimney Services is always here to help. Give us a call!

By John Pilger on March 27th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chimney Care Checklist for Spring