Our Company Blog

Prevent a Leaky Chimney with Our Waterproofing Services

When it is summertime in Austin, the last thing on your mind is your chimney and fireplace. However, we tend to also get heavy rains during the summer season, and this leads to water leaking into your chimney. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), preventing water penetration of masonry chimneys is one of the biggest maintenance responsibilities for homeowners.

In order to ensure that your chimney has the ultimate protection against water leak damage is to schedule a water leak chimney inspection appointment with a CSIA-certified professional. For over 25 years, Atlas Chimney has been providing excellent chimney maintenance, repair, and installation services to the area. You can count on us to give you a fair and honest assessment of the water penetration preventive services. We would like to tell you more about the service that we recommend the most to our customers: waterproofing.

Why does my chimney need a waterproofing treatment?

Masonry materials like concrete, bricks, and mortar joints are porous, which means they naturally absorb water when it rains or snows. The constant exposure to the elements can cause masonry materials to become damaged. This damage is accelerated during the winter. Whenever the temperature drops below freezing, any moisture trapped inside masonry materials will freeze and expand. As the water thaws, it can cause the bricks and mortar joints to crack, crumble, become loose, and fall from the chimney structure.

This is the freeze/thaw cycles, and it can lead to extensive spalling damage. If you don’t address this damage, it could jeopardize the stability of the chimney. A professional waterproofing treatment from Atlas Chimney can protect your masonry chimney against this type of damage and deterioration.

How does waterproofing work?

After our team inspect your chimney and makes the necessary masonry repairs, we will scrub the exterior clean. We will then apply a coating of the best waterproofing treatment available on the market, ChimneySaver. We love this product, as it is specifically made for masonry chimneys. You can trust us to never use any sealant formula to waterproof your chimney.

The ChimneySaver treatment is 100 percent vapor permeable, so you will not have to worry about more masonry damage occurring. Once we finish applying this treatment to your entire exterior chimney, our work is covered under a 10-year warranty. This means you have at least a decade of the ultimate protection against water penetration chimney damage.

At Atlas Chimney, we also provide other water penetration preventive services such as chimney cap installation and flashing repair and construction. To make sure your chimney can stand up to water damage, contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Structural Damage & Your Chimney

Durable and solid, masonry chimneys are built to last for many years; however, the constant exposure to the elements can lead to damage and deterioration. Repair damaged bricks and mortar joints as soon as possible because they get much worse when neglected. Over 25 years of service, Atlas Chimney has seen many chimneys collapse because of negletcing masonry damage. This type of damage worsens even more quickly during the winter due to cold weather. To keep your chimney structurally sound, we can help you both with professional chimney repair and water penetration preventive services. We want to tell you more about why winter weather is so rough on the structure of your chimney as well as how we can help you keep it safe and sound.

Why does winter weather cause so much structural damage to chimneys?

While masonry materials are strong and durable, they are also naturally porous and absorb moisture, which weakens the bricks and mortar joints. This is why the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has issued such a stern warning to homeowners about water penetration damage to masonry chimneys. The CSIA also warns that this type of damage can quickly worsen during the winter because of freeze/thaw cycles. Any moisture inside masonry materials will freeze and expand every time the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When this water thaws, its force causes the bricks and mortar joints to crack and break apart. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles in one season can lead to bricks and mortar falling from the chimney structure, and if this damage is not repaired in a timely manner, the structure of your chimney could be in serious jeopardy.

How can Atlas Chimney help protect my masonry chimney from structural damage?

We have the necessary skills and experience to replace damaged and missing bricks and mortar joints. In addition, we also provide several ways to combat water penetration. These include professional chimney cap installation and customized flashing system construction and repairs. We strongly recommend professionally waterproofing your chimney to ensure protection against water damage. This service creates a barrier against water penetration that lasts for a decade and will prevent freeze/thaw damage from occurring during the cold winter months.

Keep your masonry chimney’s structure safe and sound this winter. Contact us today at Atlas Chimney to learn more about our professional water penetration preventive services and to schedule an appointment for your waterproofing treatment.