In regions like ours that receive abundant snowfall, homeowners in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts must winterize their masonry chimneys. With nearly six feet of snow each winter and over a foot of it in January alone, it is essential to protect your chimney and fireplace from the freeze-thaw cycle, which can be particularly damaging during this period.
What is the Freeze-Thaw Cycle, and How Does it Affect Chimneys?
Masonry materials like brick, mortar, and stone are porous, meaning they can absorb moisture. When it rains or snow melts, it absorbs water through its pores. As the temperature drops below freezing, any moisture trapped in the brickwork or stonework turns into ice. As the ice crystals expand, they can cause brick and mortar to crack from the inside out. This process repeats silently throughout the winter season, worsening any existing damage from previous winters until it is repaired or reaches the point of structural failure.
Here’s how to protect your chimney from January’s silent killer
Silence is not golden when it comes to chimneys – that two-ton stack of bricks atop your roof. Understanding how to fortify your masonry now can save you from January’s “silent killer”:
1. Professional Chimney Inspections
The best defense against winter damage is a good offense. And the best offense is a professional chimney inspection. Our CSIA-certified sweeps have the training, tools, and expertise to perform a thorough visual review of the entire system, including the chimney, vents, and attached appliances. It may also include a high-definition video scan of the flue to detect hairline cracks in the clay liner that are difficult to see during an “eyes only” inspection from the fireplace. We also examine the flashing, the metal seal where the chimney meets the roof, to check whether precipitation is leaking through the seam.
2. Cap Your Chimney
A chimney cap is your flue’s umbrella. Without it, the open top of your chimney is a direct passageway for rain and snow to fall into your fireplace. Plus, a high-quality stainless steel or copper cap features a mesh screen that prevents wildlife—like birds, squirrels, and raccoons—from nesting inside and obstructing the venting of smoke and harmful contaminants, such as carbon monoxide.
3. Make Masonry Repairs
Crumbling or spalling bricks and mortar are severe gaps in your chimney’s armor. In addition to reduced efficiency, it allows water and deadly carbon monoxide fumes to leak into your home. Making timely masonry repairs, whether it’s tuckpointing, individual brick replacement, or rebuilding the chimney crown, is the key to protecting your family, home, and chimney from January’s silent killer.
4. Waterproof Your Chimney
Off-the-shelf sealers available at big box retailers can worsen the damage. That’s why we use a specially formulated, professional-grade, vapor-permeable water repellent. This product binds to the pores in the masonry, creating an invisible shield that repels rain, snow, ice, and UV exposure while allowing water vapors to evaporate.
5. Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors
When using your wood or gas fireplace, your smoke and CO detectors are your lifeline in an emergency. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion; if your chimney is blocked by debris or a damaged liner, this silent killer can leak into your home in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep. Recently, an entire New Hampshire family lost their lives due to carbon monoxide exposure from a propane gas heating system. We can’t stress this enough: Test smoke & CO detectors monthly, replace batteries twice a year, and ensure they are placed on every level of your home—especially near sleeping areas.
Call Sweepnman to Prepare Your Chimney for Winter in MA
Protect your chimney from the destructive effects of the winter freeze-thaw cycle and protect your home from January’s “silent killer.” Sweepnman provides certified chimney inspections, sweeping, waterproofing, and more. We proudly serve communities across the North Shore and Merrimack Valley, including Salisbury, MA; Andover, MA; Harvard, MA; Groton, MA and more! Don’t wait for a chimney leak. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with a certified chimney sweep or request an estimate.
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