Your Cincinnati chimney takes a beating from Mother Nature. From extreme temperatures to heavy rain and snow, even the toughest-built chimney can deteriorate over time. A settling foundation can also affect your chimney, causing ugly cracks and serious structural problems. No matter what the cause, a damaged chimney can detract from the beauty and value of your Cincinnati home.
Year-round chimney care from your certified experts
Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati masonry experts specializes in all types of masonry repair and restoration work, including chimney rebuilds. From cracked masonry, leaks, blocked chimney caps, and poorly fitting dampers, our experienced technicians have solved nearly every chimney problem you can imagine.
We carefully inspect all aspects of your chimney to ensure that you have no issues with leaks, clogs, or structural integrity.
BE SAFE – HAVE YOUR CHIMNEY INSPECTED!
Don’t let your chimney build up with dirt and debris. It’s important to have it inspected and cleaned to ensure proper functionality and safety.
Chimney Rebuilds
The liner of your chimney’s flue undergoes tremendous stresses brought about by high temperatures. Clay tile liners can crack or separate, allowing corrosive gases to escape and damage the brick or masonry structure of your chimney. Or external weather can batter your chimney to weaken mortar and wear away at the crown or shaft. We’re on it!
Our experienced chimney technicians will assess your chimney’s condition and make recommendations on necessary repairs. This may address a specific concern, such as damper malfunction or flue replacement, or require more extensive repairs to the chimney structure itself. Bone Dry is a certified HeatShield® partner, giving us the ability to make durable repairs to your chimney flue using the latest technology at progressively escalating levels. This includes everything from a sealant process using a foam applicator to repair minor damage, to a full flue resurfacing and chimney relining. HeatShield® applications even come with a 20-year warranty.
If only a few bricks are cracked or spalling (breaking off in fragments), they can typically be replaced. If your chimney has become too damaged, we will likely need to partially or completely tear down and rebuild the structure. With any chimney rebuild we try to use any existing bricks that are still in good condition.
Then again, your chimney may simply have a cosmetic issue, which we can remediate with cleaning and tuckpointing.
Whichever solution is required you can be sure the work will be done thoroughly, professionally and to the highest standards of workmanship. When you hire us to restore or rebuild your chimney, you can be sure that all work will be completed in accordance with state and local building codes.
Chimney Waterproofing
Even the strongest brick, masonry block and mortar structure can be eroded and damaged by prolonged exposure to rain, snow and ice. Water finds its way into the tiniest holes and cracks, and a freeze/thaw cycle can eventually break down the structure, which is why we strongly recommend the application of a waterproof sealer to your chimney, both inside and outside.
A professional waterproofing application, reapplied every few years, will help protect your chimney from water damage, saving you from more extensive repairs. Water leaks can cause rusted damper and firebox assemblies, rotted wood, water stains on walls and ceiling, decayed exterior mortar, cracked flue lining or a tilting chimney structure. If not addressed, these leaks can eventually lead to complete failure of your chimney.
Learn more about the importance of a waterproof chimney.
We can apply high-quality waterproofing agent that can add years to the life of your chimney. To waterproof your chimney, Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati use a protective sealant that is vapor permeable, which means that it allows the moisture that is inside of the chimney to escape, while preventing water from getting in from the outside. Waterproofing is an affordable way to protect the beauty and function of your chimney and save yourself money and hassle down the road.
Fireplace Dampers
A chimney damper is an adjustable valve – typically made of metal – that is placed inside a chimney flue. It can be opened to allow smoke to be released when the fireplace below is in use, then closed to prevent air infiltration when the fire is extinguished. It is important that the damper seals the chimney tightly to help seal against heat loss. Over time, the damper’s seal can loosen, or the mechanism may fail. We can repair (or, if necessary, replace) worn dampers to help make sure your home is not leaking air up the chimney.
If you have issues with smoke or drafts in your home, we can inspect your chimney and determine if your fireplace damper needs replacing. A damaged or improperly installed fireplace damper can reduce your home’s comfort and energy efficiency, letting heated and cooled air escape up and out your chimney flue. A damaged damper can also let in water and moisture, which can cause cracks in the mortar and other serious problems. We can inspect your chimney damper and make sure it’s working like it should. If your damper isn’t functioning like it should, Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati can install a new one.
Chimney Crown Repair & Replacement
A chimney crown is a slab of concrete, metal or stone that cover the top of a chimney for the purpose of preventing rain, snow and hail – or even animals! – from entering and damaging the chimney itself. The crown is larger than the chimney, which allows it to redirect water and other forms of moisture away from the chimney and onto the roof for drainage. When a chimney crown is worn or damaged, moisture can seep in and damage the chimney. An on-site inspection is the only way to tell if a crown needs to be repaired or replaced.
If there are cracks or voids in your chimney crown, this can allow water to seep inside the bricks and mortar of your chimney, causing expensive damage over time. Our Cincinnati chimney technicians can repair or rebuild the crown of your chimney to help prevent the need for costly water damage repairs.
If your chimney crown is severely worn, has pieces missing, or is lacking structural integrity, it might be best to replace it with a new concrete crown. We can build a new crown for your chimney with durable concrete and a design that will direct water away from the bricks and mortar and keep your chimney as dry as possible. Having a professional from Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati repair your chimney crown as soon as a problem is suspected is the best way to prevent more extensive – and expensive – damage to your chimney.
Tuckpointing
The bricks or masonry blocks that make up most chimneys are very durable. But the mortar that holds them together has a shorter service life, usually about 25 years. Exposure to the elements and stress can cause mortar to crack and crumble, which can threaten the structural integrity of the entire chimney. The best repair technique for failing mortar is called “tuckpointing.”
Tuckpointing involves filling the joint between bricks, block or stone with a similar color mortar, then scoring the setting mortar with a straight line that is filled with contrasting color mortar. The result is a sharply defined mortar joint that presents a much neater and more regular appearance, while also strengthening the chimney structure. Tuckpointing is a highly prized skill that can only be perfected with plenty of training and practice. Our chimney repair technicians are well versed in this traditional repair method, and are ready to make your chimney look its best while restoring its overall performance. We will expertly match your existing mortar, so you won’t notice where the mortar was replaced.
If you have loose bricks or stones or cracks in your mortar, our trained technicians will inspect your chimney and recommend the best solution to ensure it is functioning safely and looks beautiful.
Routine Maintenance
Regular chimney maintenance is important for preventing damage and expensive chimney repairs, however, all chimneys require repair at one time or another.
If you notice smoke coming into your home or that your home is drafty, you should consider having your fireplace damper inspected. In addition to masonry repair and restoration, Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati’s masons also installs chimney caps, chase covers and chimney dampers.
DOES YOUR CHIMNEY NEED WORK?
Bone Dry Roofing Cincinnati is the best choice for repairs both inside and out! Contact us today to schedule a chimney inspection and assessment.
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