Chimney Care & Maintenance
First off, looking after your chimney. Just like every other part of your house, your chimney will need some regular maintenance to keep it working properly. There are a few different ways to do this.
Sweeping: The most basic things you need to do is have your chimney swept – both for your chimney and your safety. But how often you do it depends on what you’re burning and how often. For example, if you burn wood or coal, then we recommend you have the flue swept at least twice a year. If you’re burning smokeless fuels or gas then it will need sweeping at least once a year. And if you’re using your fireplace regularly, then getting it swept more often is important. Getting your chimney swept prevents the buildup of soot and other chemicals on the inside of the flue, preventing a wide range of problems including chimney fires. We still see around 2,100 of these across England every year! The best time to get your chimney swept is September, just before the heating season. This will also make sure there’s no blockages (like birds’ nests) or decaying brickwork.
Servicing: Did you know that all of the appliances serving your chimney also need servicing too? That includes things like wood burning stoves. These should be checked and serviced once a year to make sure they’re in good condition and continue to provide good combustion – which is important as poor combustion can cause a build up of carbon-monoxide. Speaking of which….
Test Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Any sources of ignition in your home, from your gas boiler to the fireplace, should have carbon monoxide alarms placed nearby. These also need to be checked regularly (once a month is ideal) and low batteries replaced to protect you and your family against carbon monoxide. This one is particularly important as the effect of carbon monoxide can be lethal very quickly.
External Checks: Finally, the outside of your chimney also needs to be checked on now and then. Because they’re in such an exposed position on your home, they can be affected by weather much quicker than the brickwork on the outside of your property. The most important areas to check are the flashings (where the chimney meets the roof coverings or other parts of the structure) and the pointing. Weathered or decayed pointing and flashing can allow moisture to penetrate through to the flue and even make your chimney lean – or worse collapse completely. Another important area to check are your bricks, which can become damaged and weathered and allow water into your home. You should also check the top of your chimney, as older chimney pots might not have any form of capping and this lets rain and even birds inside the chimney. Luckily caps are easy to install! The last area you should check is the flaunching. This is the mortar securing the chimney pot in place and helps keep the water out. Over time this can become cracked or damaged, allowing water into the flue and causing damp or other structural issues. These can be difficult to check because of their position, but it can be done with access equipment or drones.
What are the Most Common Issues?
There are a few different issues that chimneys can suffer from, but the most common thing we see is damp. This will normally show through on the chimney breasts inside the property, which is what prompts the homeowner to take action. Damp chimneys can be caused by a few things, including the ones we’ve already mentioned above. But the damp can also come from inside the property, or be causes by a history of improper care and maintenance. In fact, that’s one of the most common causes. Unmaintained chimney stacks, failed or inappropriate flashings and even interstitial condensation – which is when moisture collects in the air inside the flue and causes condensation.
This last one can actually cause more issues than just damp. Because your chimney is also full of soot, the water can react with the chemicals in that soot and damage the surrounding bricks. This is most common in chimneys that have been abandoned and aren’t used any more, but we do see it in chimneys that don’t have any ventilation either. Proper ventilation allows air movement and lets that moisture escape, but without it the water is trapped, damp can also be caused by a build-up of salts, which are deposited by the smoke repeatedly passing through the chimney while it’s in frequent use. These salts actively attract water, so even if ventilation is in place and any issues have been fixed it can still throw up false positives on an electric damp metre.
Ultimately, if you’re not using your chimney then you need to take some steps to stop damp issues. This basically means adding vents internally where the fireplace has been covered, or adding an air brick on external flue to allow air to ventilate through the entire height of the chimney. In some instances, the best option might be removing the entire chimney stack down to below the roof coverings. This is a sure-fire solution to remove defective chimneys, as well as protect against potential future issues if the chimney is being shut down for good.
What if I Have an Issue With my Chimney?
If you suspect there is an issue with your chimney, then t’s important you ask an experienced surveyor to inspect and diagnose the issue. Chimney defects can be caused by a lot of different issues, which means tradesmen and contractors tend to overly focus on their area of expertise and often leave the actual underlying cause of the problem unaddressed. Surveyors are all about structural understanding, which means we will find the root cause to address.
Finally, you should also consider if the chimney breasts are shared with neighbouring properties. Repair works might require notification to the adjoining property under the Party Wall Act, and removing the chimney will always need this. We have several blogs and videos dedicated to just this subject on our website and YouTube channel if you need more information. And don’t forget, if you have any questions, or would like to know how your team at Harrison Clarke could help you, just contact our friendly team on 02381 55 00 51, and we would be delighted to help.
For more expert advice on surveying and property matters, check out our range of informative videos on our website or YouTube channel. Harrison Clarke Chartered Surveyors is here to guide you every step of the way!
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