Chimney Maintenance

Things you should know about your Chimney Maintenance Chimney Maintenance is essential!

If you have wood burners and/or multi fuel stoves the first thing to remember is your chimney would need to be in good condition and safe which would involve checking for blockages or structural failures/damages.

Recurring Damp

Hygroscopic salt contamination is very common on internal chimney breasts and is generally caused as a result of rising dampness and water ingress.

Ground water and other penetrating dampness introduces Chlorides and Nitrates (salts) into the building fibre. Unfortunately as the water evaporates these salts are left in the building and over many years become concentrated on the wall surface. These salts can also be introduced through the combustion of fossil fuels.

During periods of high humidity (such as the winter months, or periods of prolonged rain), moisture vapour (condensation) is attracted to the salts, causing them to become soluble and therefore damp.

Eradication of Hygroscopic dampness is a combination of ensuring that the path of water is prevented (usually following a leak), and furthermore the salt affected plaster is removed. Evidently, it would advised to re-plaster the area with a plaster containing a salt inhibitor and water proofer.

Bird Proofing

Before you have your chimney bird proofed ensure there are no active bird nests or trapped birds inside your chimney. Under the Wildlife and Country Act, it is an offence to destroy or remove an active nest during the nesting season which is usually from March to August. It is best practice to wait until the end of August before checking that the nest is empty and can be removed. You may need to get in a chimney sweep to clear out the chimney when nesting has finished so you can bird proof the chimney.

Chimney Flaunching

Flaunching on the top of your chimney stack is an essential part of your chimney maintenance for two reasons, one is to hold the chimney pots in place and the other is to encourage rainwater away from the stack. Over time, the flaunching cracks and disintegrates around the chimney pots. If there are problems caused by failed flaunching, remove it all and replace it with a cement mix.

Chimney Maintenance

Chimney Lead Work

Common causes of chimney leaks is generally down to the lead flashing. If this happens this can lead to all sorts of problems, especially if not fixed. Most problems with lead flashing is generally down to poor installation. For this reason it is essential to do your homework when choosing a roofing contractor to complete your works. Code 4 lead is installed ensuring the connection between the roof and the chimney is watertight. The minimum recommended depth for lead flashing to be set into a chase is 25mm.

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Apron flashing (also known as cover flashing)

Apron flashing is the most common type of flashing used in roofing applications, mainly due to its versatility. This type of flashing is used on the front and backs of chimneys.

Step Flashing

Step flashing allows a roof to abutt brickwork in situations where a lower height roof runs into a wall, or where a roof meets a chimney. The ‘step’ refers to the pattern created in the lead by a series of cuts that allows the lead to penetrate into the courses between the bricks that resemble the steps of a staircase. Generally the reason for going to the trouble of creating the steps is so the bricks can remain un-cut and therefore undamaged, while it is also aesthetically pleasing.

Chimney Removal/Reduction

Chimney removal surprisingly does not require planning permission unless you live in a listed building or in a conservation area. However, you will need planning as a result of a chimney reduction.
This option is normally chosen because the stack on a disused chimney needs to be repaired, however, it is surprisingly more cost effective to remove the stack below roof level if it is no longer in use.
The chimney breast is left in place because you may wish to have a new chimney built in the future.
The chimney stack is removed just below roof level, then new batten and roofers felt is fixed to the void, and tiles or slates are fixed to match the existing.

Chimney Re-pointing

Re-pointing is an essential part of chimney maintenance and should be done by a professional roofer, furthermore, the pointing in the brick work disintegrates over time. Having your chimney re-pointed will ensure the stack is waterproof.