Chimney Services
Sealing your Lake Monroe chimney, from prep to final coat
Repairs that come before any repellent
BIA guidance is direct about the order of work. The source of water penetration should be found and the necessary repairs completed before a water repellent is applied, and its list of repairs to finish first includes repointing cracked or disintegrated joints, replacing brick with spalled faces and replacing failed sealant.
The ChimneySaver instructions say the same thing in their own words, asking for structural cracks, faulty roofing, flashing, mortar joints and sealants to be repaired before application. On your Lake Monroe chimney those repairs are quoted as separate lines, the repellent comes last, and you can approve the repairs without committing to the treatment.
Cleaning the chimney surface before treatment
A repellent has to reach the pores to work. Manufacturer instructions for a siloxane chimney repellent call for clean, structurally sound, visibly dry surfaces, with dust, dirt, grease, efflorescence, old coatings and other foreign matter removed first, since they can block or interfere with penetration.
The cleaning method has to suit the masonry, because harsh cleaning can damage a surface or change how it takes the product. Our specialists choose the preparation for your Lake Monroe chimney and list it on the estimate, so a quick spray over dirty brick is never mistaken for waterproofing.
Chimney sealing before a home sale
A buyer's inspector may suggest sealing the chimney without saying whether repairs should come first. That leaves the seller guessing about scope and price, and the buyer unsure what will be done.
After a free inspection, you get a written plan: any repairs needed, whether a repellent is advisable and what each item costs. The plan is clear enough for both sides of the sale to read, and treatment can be fitted in before the closing when the weather cooperates.
Asking the brick maker when it is known
Brick is not all alike. Technical Note 6A suggests consulting the brick manufacturer, whenever possible, before selecting a coating, since the properties of each brick are unique and can affect how a coating performs.
For most homes the maker is unknown, and the test area does that job instead. Where the brick is known or unusual, our specialists take that into account when choosing the repellent for your Lake Monroe chimney. A chimney repaired over the years may mix bricks from different sources, and the test area shows how each kind takes the product.
