A little water in your fireplace may not seem important. It’s just a few drips, right? Unfortunately, those few drips can be a sign of a much more significant problem. Here’s a quick look at the top five consequences of ignoring a chimney leak in your Rochester home.
The Top 5 Consequences of Ignoring Chimney Leaks
- Chimney damage: A leak is often the sign that water is seeping through the mortar in your masonry, which can then cause freeze-thaw damage, leading to more cracks, crumbling, and damage, increasing the size of the leak. This can eventually lead to the failure of your chimney, requiring costly repairs.
- Roof and attic damage: When water seeps in along and through your chimney, it can cause moisture to build up in the structure of your roof and attic, causing rot and damage that can cause your roof and structural supports to fail. This, in turn, can cause additional leaks and damage to your home.
- Stained walls, ceilings, and floors: When water leaks onto a ceiling, down a wall, or onto a floor, it can leave mineral deposits behind, often leading to ugly stains requiring time, money, and effort to fix effectively. It can also cause structural damage to the impacted parts of your home.
- Damaged home items: When these leaks are allowed to continue, they can also impact items kept in your home, from furniture to beloved mementos. This is especially true of items believed to be stored safely in an attic which are not checked often, such as older records, photographs, and antiques.
- Mold and mildew growth: Moisture that enters your home and may not dry out in a timely manner. This can lead to mold and mildew on your walls, furnishings, ceilings, floors, and other areas, which can impact your overall health and wellbeing, especially for those suffering respiratory ailments such as asthma and emphysema.
As you can see, there can be significant consequences to ignoring chimney leaks in your Rochester home. If you’ve noticed a few new drops of water in your fireplace or other signs of a chimney leak, don’t ignore it! For assistance, the friendly team of professionals at Four Winds Chimney can help, just reach out today to get started!
