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Why Are Chimney Inspections Important?

Why Are Chimney Inspections Important?

There are many reasons why it is Important to have periodic chimney inspections. There are many hazards that can interrupt the safe operation of a chimney system.

One chimney often services multiple heating systems in the home such as furnaces, fireplaces and fossil fuel stoves. Any system, that comprises the use of fossil fuels, requires adequate exhaust to remove emissions.
This is possible due to the fact that most chimneys contain multiple flues. If a chimney has only one flue, it should only service one system. There are cases where two or more systems use a single flue. This is considered hazardous and a serious code violation.

If you believe your chimney has only one flue, yet you have more than one system exhausting to that chimney, there exists a hazard that needs correction.

A chimney is designed to remove noxious exhaust from household heating systems. It is akin to the exhaust pipe on a tractor trailer truck. The stack is elevated beyond the cab enclosure of a tractor trailer, in an effort to exhaust the emissions into the atmosphere above the occupants. Without a properly operating chimney, the occupants of the structure are exposed to dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is undetectable by the natural senses. Any home that contains a system that is powered by fossil fuel combustion should also contain carbon monoxide detectors. If your carbon monoxide detector detects carbon monoxide, the structure should be vacated at once.

Due to the harsh weather in Maine and the high concentrations of salt in the atmosphere near the coast, chimneys take a lot of abuse. Chimney enemy number one is a damp salty atmosphere. Salt in the air is corrosive to the brick and mortar of a chimney. Though a chimney may appear stable from the ground, at higher levels the mortar is generally softer. The crown and final courses will take the brunt of the abuse and are the most likely to show failures. When the mortar joints take on water they eventually reach a point of saturation. When the joints have failed and are saturated, water begins to infiltrate the structure. This leads to interior damage to the building as well as accelerated decay of adjacent mortar joints.

The best preventative measure is to periodically apply masonry sealant to exposed masonry as well as scheduling of periodic chimney inspection. For Cumberland County Maine, There is RL Sanborn Masonry, a Chimney Inspection Contractor.

RL Sanborn Masonry provides expert masonry building restoration services to Cumberland County, Maine residents and businesses. Whether your building is a brick structure or a stone home, we are prepared to earn your business with outstanding service at reasonable rates. We are equipped and possess the knowledge to take on any building restoration, big or small.

Our services vary from spot pointing for maintenance to complete brick and mortar restoration.

Mortar joint replacement is a messy job. We take the utmost precautions to keep your property safe and tidy, during the procedure. If your building has crumbling mortar and or cracked, loose or missing bricks, you know the name you can trust for your 100% satisfaction. Please call the masonry building restoration pros, at RL Sanborn Masonry, Today!

We promise that the results will elate you!

Masonry, Understanding The Trade And The Artisans

Masonry, Understanding The Trade And The Artisans
23rd, March 2007
Masonry as a trade is an often misunderstood Trade.It is not meant to be confused with Free Masonry. Though the two are related in a certain degree, they are not one in the same. Freemasonry is a Fraternal organization and is not one in the same with the trade.

Although the latter is an interesting topic our purpose here is to discuss masonry as a trade. In The earliest transgressions of masonry, Humans and other Primates used stones as tools according to the earliest records and research available, the recorded stone etchings themselves masonry.
A true Mason is a practicing Artisan. Masons may dabble in hobbies, yet are known as Masons.
Any man, woman or child can create a simple stone structure. A small pile of stones for instance. The Trade itself however requires drive, motivation, trained eyes,
high intelligence ,artistic ability, strength and most importantly years as a Masons Tender. The Tender stage is where many would be Masons opt out. To survive the rigors of brutal work in the harshest climates ,often unprotected from the elements, is in itself a challenge.
Masons do not only think from the ground up, as they know what lies below the surface can support or destroy the Work above.
If the work is destroyed by the normal conditions of it’s environment, so too is the Mason.
His work is his lifeblood. It is a presentation of his skill level. His sandcastles are the best and they stay the longest. He takes the time to understand the chemistry of his mortar which will seal his work and bond it together for centuries. He is immortal and survives long past his natural life. He lives in the Artistry of his work never faltering to the abuse it takes from Man and Mother nature.
Masonry is responsible for the oldest existing structures on earth, that were expertly crafted and have lasted millennium after millennium. That is what a true Mason hopes for. His greatest desire and primary focus is to secure his work for many life times to be enjoyed by masses.
R.L. Sanborn Masonry 2007
J.E. Sanborn Author