Where the chimney leak starts, found and fixed in Sunrise

Powdery white residue on the brick

A powdery white residue on brick is left by salts that water carries out of the masonry and leaves behind as it dries. On a chimney it shows that water is moving through the brick and mortar, either from outside or from the flue.

The residue is a sign of water, not a cause of leaks. Brushing it off does nothing about the water. We note where it appears, inside or outside, and use it as one more clue to the path. The source of the moisture has to be dealt with before the residue stops coming back.

Questions to ask about a leak proposal

A leak repair proposal should make sense to you before you approve it. These questions help test whether it does, whichever company wrote it.

Our estimate answers these in writing. If any answer is unclear, ask us to explain it again. A repair you understand is easier to judge when the next heavy rain comes.

• What evidence points to this part as the source
• Which other paths were checked and ruled out
• What happens if the leak continues afterward
• What the proposal leaves out, and why

Chunks of material in the firebox

Pieces of concrete, tile or brick in the firebox mean something above is breaking up. It may be the crown, a flue tile or masonry inside the chimney. Where material is coming loose, water is often getting in too.

Keep a few of the pieces for us to see. Their shape and material help us tell where they fell from. Do not look up the flue with your head inside the firebox, because more may fall. We check the top and the flue and explain what the pieces suggest.

Gutters that spill onto the chimney

An outside chimney near a roof edge can be soaked by an overflowing gutter. Water spilling from the gutter runs down the brick and into its joints, and the chimney may appear to leak when the real problem is the gutter.

Look at the gutter near the chimney during heavy rain, from a safe spot on the ground. If it overflows, clearing or adjusting it may reduce the water on the brick. We note it in the findings if it looks involved, and the gutter work goes to whoever looks after your gutters.