Our brick chimney has shown signs of spalling for the last 3 winters. Our cap is cracked so I assume this could be a problem. I also assume the mortor between the brick layers is breaking down and letting rain/snow water to migrate into the brick and possibly causing the problem(home is 35 yrs old). The other issue is the flue pipe coming from our propane insert in the fireplace. Can one get enough condensation from this pipe to cause spalling from inside out? My problem is to decide which issue is the problem or are they all contributing to the problem. Finally what are my options to correct the problem? I assume I need to replace the brick as one option. Can one put a metal cap & siding over the existing brick or does this lead do even more of a problem?
Answer:
Your first consideration is that metal liner. The ownership manual for it should tell you how to work around it to reduce or even prevent condensation because of what you describe, all points are contributing to the spalling. The top couple of feet of any chimney is the most abused section and with a liner in there, it is common to hear (and mostly see) the chimney complain.
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