jeudi 19 mars 2015

When You Do Need To Services Of Minneapolis Chimney Repair Contractors

By Lelia Hall


A chimney sweep is not enough to keep your smoke extraction system in good operating form. There are defects, which will arise as the structure is exposed to environmental elements such as snow, UV light, rainfall, and wind. If you are under the impression that what you need is a chimney sweep, then you might want to reevaluate your thinking. You cannot do without repairs of chimneys. A Minneapolis chimney repair contractor can help bring sanity in these structures.

Things like the mortar and bricks, capping, and crown will become defective with time. The capping structure is found on top of chimneys and is not part of the masonry work. It is the cover that you see at the top and it may be made of metal such as copper, steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum.

Moisture is probably the number one form of destructive forces that you have watch out for in chimneys. Damaged caps will allow water to enter in flues and cause a lot of damage. While the interior part may be exposed to extreme heat more than the upper part, it is most shielded from the harsh weather and the rate of deteriorating may be slow.

Well, there are things that can help you know if you need to have repairs on chimneys. You can check for the capping structure. The purpose of the cap is to keep away rainwater from entering chimneys. Capping may also help in preventing the entry of birds and other creatures like squirrels into the flues.

Any good mortar does not leave a mark when you run a screwdriver across it. However, bad mortar falls away and leaves a gouge or a small depression where the screwdriver crosses as it peels or flakes away and falls. After checking the mortar outside, you may want to make sure that you check the mortar just below the roofline.

The crown of your chimneys offers a second line of defense against water. Usually, a crown is that concrete or mortar slab which is poured on top of every chimney. It is about 2 by 3 inches. It is this crown that covers the upper most courses of bricks making your chimneys and it surrounds the flue tiles at the top. A crown is needed not only for aesthetic appeal but also for protective purposes.

Chimneys have a hollow interior that surrounds the flue tiles. That space is important because it helps in directing the smoke outside the house. Because concretes or slabs that make the mortar of crown may suffer from moisture, it needs to be checked. One process that contractors handle when repairing chimneys is tuckpointing. Many people confuse tuckpointing with mortar joints.

Moreover, moisture may enter chimneys and cause the bricks, concretes, and other masonry surfaces to develop cracks that weaken the structural integrity of the structures. When water dissolves creosote material, an acidic compound may be formed which can speedily eat away the flues of chimneys. If your chimneys do not have caps, you may want to have them replaced. Therefore, chimneys should be protected of water and moisture damage.




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