Brick Damage? Now's The Time To Repair It!
Bricks on homes need repaired all the time, however, the bricks on the chimney are exposed to more of the elements than the rest of the home and therefore are often the most damaged bricks on the home. Over the winter, temperatures dip below freezing. These temperatures are prime for further damage to brick that has any existing damage due to freeze thaw damage.
What is Freeze Thaw Damage?
Freeze thaw damage occurs when water either naturally found in the brick or water that has pooled and is left behind from rain or snow freezes and thaws. When water freezes, it expands. This expansion can cause the brick to crack, or crack further if water is sitting in an existing hairline crack. There is a small percentage of water naturally found in the brick and if these vapors freeze and
Having any cracks on your chimney going into the cold season, you run the risk of these cracks getting even worse. Even hairline cracks run the risk of become a deep, damaging crack. Sealing these cracks prevents them from worsening over the cold months and causing damage to the point where bricks must be removed and replaced or portions of the chimney must be rebuilt entirely.