IF YOUR CHIMNEY IS CRYING OUT FOR HELP, CALL US!
TN / 931-967-3595 • AL / 256-285-4895
It’s no secret that mold in your home that lives anywhere outside your blue cheese salad dressing is a bad, bad thing. Any part of your home that’s susceptible to moisture intrusion is susceptible to mold — your bathrooms, your ceilings and yes, your leaky chimney too.
You don’t want to deal with mold growth in your chimney any more than you want it in your drywall. Air movement is a core part of how your chimney functions, and when mold spores are present, they’re in that moving air. Mold spores have been shown to contribute to a bunch of different health problems, from making allergies act up to irritating throats and worsening respiratory conditions.
A-1 Chimney Specialists can help determine whether you have a mold problem in your chimney, remove it and, more importantly, make the right repairs to stop the moisture intrusion that’s feeding the mold. A few indicators that mold growth might be a problem in your chimney:
Moisture is, of course, what feeds mold growth. So if you notice the signs of a leak in or around your chimney — stained or discolored building materials or masonry, the moisture itself — mold is a distinct possibility. A-1 technicians will always check for mold issues when we’re working on finding and repairing the source (or sources) of a chimney leak.
People always note the great smell that comes with having a fire in your fireplace. But even if you have a wood-burning unit, when the fireplace isn’t in use, you shouldn’t notice a strong smell coming from your firebox. Mold gives off a strong musty smell, so a bad odor coming from your chimney could be an indication of a leak and mold growth. Chimney odors truly aren’t just an annoyance — they can be a helpful warning, so long as you respond accordingly. If you’re noticing a strong smell around your fireplace or chimney, call A-1 Chimney Specialists. We’ll figure out what that odor is trying to tell us.
We don’t want water getting into your chimney system — mold is just one of the frustrating results that come with water intrusion. Along with keeping up with your annual chimney inspections, A-1 recommends a number of other preventative measures that can do a lot to keep water out of your chimney.
Chimney caps are a smart start when it comes to keeping water out — installed at the top of your flue, they help keep rain and snow out of your flue opening, which helps keep moisture out of your flue.
Top-sealing dampers are another great preventative measure — along with effectively closing off your flue when your appliance isn’t in use, these dampers use a silicone gasket to completely close off the flue opening, keeping the flue moisture- (and air-) tight.
A-1 techs can also apply a strong waterproofing sealant to your masonry that can make a huge difference in protecting older masonry and lengthening the lifespan of any masonry. Older, eroded or degraded masonry can start absorbing a large amount of water, and that’s a surefire recipe for mold. When we apply this specially designed waterproofing sealant, that absorption stops, but your masonry is still able to function the way it’s supposed to, “breathing” and allowing vapors and small particles to move from the inside of the flue to the outside.
Are you worried about a mold problem in or around your chimney? Give A-1 Chimney Specialists a call. We’d be glad to help.
