Hi,
I'm looking to repair and prevent some minor brick damage on my chimney. The problem is I don't know what type of contractor to call (a painter, a mason?) and what to ask them to do - without making things worse. Some of the contractors I've run across don't seem to know as much as you all.
The chimney is in mostly good shape. I recently cleaned the gutter out (for the first time in the home's history, apparently) so there should be less spillover. Now I'm wondering what to do about the existing damage. I want to prevent any further freeze/thaw damage this winter. A fireplace guy fixed a few cracks in the chimney cap earlier this year and made it the way it's supposed to be (sloping out, with a little lip I think).
I was about to just throw some elastomeric paint on it, but I've been reading that maybe you don't want to paint brick because it holds the moisture (which might be part of the problem here). I'm in dry - but cold in the winter - southwest Colorado FYI. So now I'm thinking of getting the paint stripped just in case they used the wrong kind and either leaving it exposed brick or putting the right kind of paint on.
Thanks for any ideas.
Edited to add: the chimney is just a fireplace, although there are 2 flues coming out and there might've been a furnace exhausting through there years ago. I'm getting a pellet stove (found a used deal I couldn't pass up) put in next week.
Thumbnails below:
I'm looking to repair and prevent some minor brick damage on my chimney. The problem is I don't know what type of contractor to call (a painter, a mason?) and what to ask them to do - without making things worse. Some of the contractors I've run across don't seem to know as much as you all.
The chimney is in mostly good shape. I recently cleaned the gutter out (for the first time in the home's history, apparently) so there should be less spillover. Now I'm wondering what to do about the existing damage. I want to prevent any further freeze/thaw damage this winter. A fireplace guy fixed a few cracks in the chimney cap earlier this year and made it the way it's supposed to be (sloping out, with a little lip I think).
I was about to just throw some elastomeric paint on it, but I've been reading that maybe you don't want to paint brick because it holds the moisture (which might be part of the problem here). I'm in dry - but cold in the winter - southwest Colorado FYI. So now I'm thinking of getting the paint stripped just in case they used the wrong kind and either leaving it exposed brick or putting the right kind of paint on.
Thanks for any ideas.
Edited to add: the chimney is just a fireplace, although there are 2 flues coming out and there might've been a furnace exhausting through there years ago. I'm getting a pellet stove (found a used deal I couldn't pass up) put in next week.
Thumbnails below: