Last night’s rain storm brought a new sound into the home…dripping.
I had to determine the source of the dripping water. As I ventured into the bedrooms searching the corners and light fixtures, all was clear. Now for the downstairs. I made my way in the dark down the stairs listening…waiting for the next drip of water. As a quietly wondered into the living room, I heard it again. It’s coming from the family room. I turned on the lights to (unfortunately) see soot in the fireplace soaked with water. That’ll be fun to clean.
I grabbed a couple of buckets and placed it in the fireplace listening for a drip to hit the 
empty bucket. It’s the only way to know that I’ve captured them all.
It isn’t often that we think about our chimneys outside. However, it is the most exposed part of the house and always the first to deteriorate. Where can the water come from that dripped into the house?
- Chimney cover: a deteriorating cement cap looks and feels sandy. The chimney cover can also come away from the bricks making it easy to move.
- Bricks deteriorate by the face of the brick separating from the brick itself.
- Mortar or the gray looking cement in between the bricks feel sandy. It also can look like the mortar is deep in the bricks, meaning it’s worn away and exposed the brick for further deterioration.
Waiting will only cause the chimney situation to worsen. Check your fireplace, and around the fireplace. If it looks wet, call Superior Chimney right away. Next, check outside. Grab a pair of binoculars if you need to (your kid probably has one in the toy chest) and look at the chimney. If you see any symptoms from the list above, or you are not certain, call Superior Chimney to check it out. It’s better to be safe than clean up thick mud…that use to be soot in the fireplace.
Here’s the phone number: 877-CHIM-FIX or 877-244-6349.
Visit online: www.superiorchimney.net
