This is How to Prevent Chimney Leaks

Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 

If your house has a chimney, chances are you are losing heating dollars without even knowing it. Many of the problems that homeowners face when battling heat and energy loss derive from a lack of air sealing in the attic. Problem areas can range from wires and pipes through top plates, to can lights and kitchen or bathroom soffits. Perhaps one of the largest and most common areas for heat and energy loss is a chimney.

Chimneys can obviously get warm or even hot and therefore building code states that no combustible materials can be in contact with the chimney. This makes perfect sense, and in the framing process, a gap is left around the chimney. The problem lies in the fact that in nearly all cases, this gap is left unsealed.  A gap that is a few inches wide doesn’t sound like much, but when that gap leads from the base of the chimney in the basement or first floor directly into the attic, a huge amount of heat, and therefore dollars, are lost.

Once the issue is discovered, a professional technician can remedy the issue and save the homeowner energy immediately.  The gap is covered with custom bent metal and sealed off with a fireproof caulk.

  After the area is sealed, the chimney is wrapped with Rockwool, a heat resistant material, so that cellulose insulation can be blown up to the base of the chimney without the danger of fire.