Fireplaces can add extra supplemental heat to your home and make the atmosphere warm and inviting. However, fireplaces require upkeep and maintenance, and may even need repair at some point in order to stay in good working order. It can sometimes be difficult to know when your fireplace in Hammond needs repair, so to help you, our A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning experts have assembled a list to determine some of the signs:
Rust
Metal is a key element in fireboxes and dampers. Metal rusts only when moisture is present, and moisture shouldn’t be present anywhere in your firebox or chimney. Excessive rust and corrosion can compromise the safety of your firebox, so if you are seeing any kind of rust, call for help as the source of the moisture needs to be located and repaired as soon as possible.
White Staining
We’ve all seen bricks with a powdery white substance and may have thought it looked pretty; unfortunately what it really means is that moisture is inside the brick or masonry and is pushing out the salt that helps maintain the viability of that particular piece of masonry. If you are seeing a lot of efflorescence – white staining – on your masonry, it’s time to call for a professional.
Crumbling Mortar
Mortar holds together the masonry of your fireplace. If you are seeing that the mortar, usually the white, cement-looking material, is crumbling, or you can pick it off with your fingers, there is a moisture problem. Crumbling mortar can cause entire pieces of masonry to come loose, so it’s important to have it checked by a professional.
Visible Chimney Crown Damage
If you can see damage to the crown (top) of your chimney from your yard, there is likely even more damage to contend with. Chimney crown damage means the top of the chimney is weakened, which can be a potentially dangerous situation. It is not advisable that you get on your roof to inspect it yourself; allow an expert to do that.
A great deal of combustion goes on in your fireplace, so don’t let it become a hazard by ignoring needed fireplace repair. The experts at A–Professional Heating and Air Conditioning can handle any kind of fireplace repair in the Hammond area, so call us today to schedule a service appointment with us.