If your historic brick home has a functioning fireplace, you know how much warmth and ambiance it offers. However, that coziness comes with a few hazards, and keeping your fireplace operational means annual maintenance tasks in order for them to perform safely and efficiently. It’s a tough job that requires experience and attention to detail, so hiring a chimney inspector is a great way to ensure peak performance and safe operation all season long. Is the fireplace in your historic brick home ready for winter?
Chimney Inspection or Chimney Sweep?
A chimney sweep performs a thorough cleaning of your chimney. A chimney inspection is a close analysis of your old brick chimney and fireplace's condition and structural integrity. The inspection looks at the entire system, including the condition of the bricks and mortar. Many chimney inspectors are also chimney sweeps, but not all chimney sweeps are chimney inspectors. It’s important to ask a chimney contractor about their qualifications and certifications to know you’re getting the inspection services you need.
What to Expect During a Chimney Inspection
Chimney inspectors will examine the external condition of your chimney’s brick and mortar, as gaps, cracks or missing bricks can compromise the efficiency of your fireplace. These common problems can also lead to structural damage, creating safety hazards for your family and your historic home if not addressed quickly.
The inspection will also examine the firebox and chimney flue, often with a camera, so they have the most detailed information possible. Problems such as gaps, cracks, warping, misalignments and creosote residue can cause improper venting, leading to poor indoor air quality. Inadequate ventilation can also cause a toxic buildup of carbon monoxide in your home. Creosote residue is one of the main causes of chimney fires, which can quickly spread, causing a significant amount of smoke and putting your family at risk.
Your inspector can explain their findings and develop a plan to replace the flue, repair the firebox, and clean the chimney if needed, providing you with peace of mind throughout the colder months.
Historic Brick Home Chimney Repair
While consulting a chimney inspector is imperative to the safe operation of your heating system, chimney inspectors and chimney sweeps are not experts in historic brickwork. When problems with exposed brick are discovered—gapped mortar, cracked or missing brick, signs of water infiltration and other concerns—a historic brick expert will need to be consulted, in order to ensure repairs are completed in a way that doesn’t further damage your home.
Traditional historic brick and mortar is softer than modern brick. When modern materials are used for repairs, the differences in compressive strength can put too much pressure on the old brick and cause it to deteriorate rapidly. For this reason, your historic brick expert will use specialized craftspeople who are experts in traditional materials and methods. A historic brick expert will use tuckpointing to remove and replace the damaged mortar with the traditional lime-based mixture, and steer clear of modern alternatives. In areas of damaged brick, the experts can determine if bricks can be reused by removing and turning them around. If reuse isn’t an option, historic brick specialists are able to source bricks that match your existing ones.
The annual services of a chimney inspector coupled with those of a historic brick specialist ensures a safe cold-weather season, allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ambiance of your beautiful old brick fireplace all winter long.
Contact Renaissance Development for a consultation with one of our experts on your brick fireplace, chimney repair, or any other advice you need regarding your historic brick home in Washington DC. Upon completion of the evaluation, you'll be able to make informed decisions about renovations and repairs, and rest easy knowing that our team of experts will make it a top priority to preserve the historic integrity of your old brick home. Ask about our Special Holiday Promotion, available throughout the month of December.
