When you need chimney repair for your Indianapolis home, it can seem as though the service you’re working with covers a wide range of different materials and parts. In this post, we’ll provide a chimney parts breakdown, and discuss the different materials and components so that you can better understand the impacted parts that need repair.
Chimney Repair: A Quick Breakdown of Chimney Parts
- Brick: This component is a rectangular block, typically made of clay and other compounds that are fired at high heat, creating a strong structural part of your chimney.
- Mortar: Consisting of cement, sand, and water, mortar is mixed to a consistency where it can hold your bricks and other components together firmly.
- Flue Liner: Rather than lining your chimney’s interior with rough bricks, ceramic or metal flue liners are used to provide a smoother surface, reducing creosote buildup.
- Chimney Cap: Resembling a small roof on your chimney, a chimney cap includes a screen as well to keep animals and debris out while keeping coals safely inside the chimney.
- Chimney Crown: Referring to the area at the top of the chimney that widens out, the crown repels water and provides some protection to the mortar and bricks beneath it.
- Damper: Used to control the movement of air and smoke, a damper is often a metal plate or similar object that can be adjusted for better fireplace performance.
- Flashing: At the location where the chimney meets the roof, flashing, typically metal or vinyl, is used to prevent water from seeping between these points into your home.
- Smoke Chamber: The area where smoke gathers before proceeding up the flue of your chimney, allowing it to be channeled to draft properly out of your home.
- Smoke Shelf: This is a structure at the top rear of some fireplaces where smoke passes into the smoke chamber. It helps reflect heat back into the room while moving smoke out.
By having a more solid understanding of the parts that make up your chimney, you can better understand the impact that they have when they’re not functioning properly. This can make a big difference in your chimney’s performance and safety. If you need help with your chimney, the professional, friendly team at Clean Sweep 317 in Indianapolis provide expert chimney repair services and are ready to help. Please contact us today with any questions.