If your house was built before 1950, you probably have a masonry chimney made out of brick in most cases. Some chimneys from that era have smaller flues made from terra cotta (ceramic) tiles. If one of these chimney tiles is cracked or broken, or if the mortar joint is worn away, it means that heat from a fire can ignite the rafters in your attic or let toxic gases like carbon monoxide enter your home. The tiles would have had to be torn out of your chimney and insert a stainless-steel chimney liner in the past. Today, we can use a coating that will seal those cracks. What is the coating? It’s called FireGuard, and it is a ceramic resurfacing and mortar joint repair system.
What is FireGuard?FireGuard is a refractory mortar that is a mix of sand, cement, fireclay, and specialized materials such as calcium aluminate. Refractory mortars are highly resistant to heat and will help protect your home from a chimney setting it on fire. FireGuard is rated effective up to 3,205°F, the highest of any chimney coating product.
An applicator is run through the chimney to apply the coating; inside the applicator is a high-frequency vibrator that ensures that FireGuard deeply penetrates all the cracks, breaks, and worn mortar joints. The vibrating applicator will apply the coating evenly, so you can be sure that your chimney won’t leak toxic fumes or ignite your roof.
You may have already noticed that your chimney liner has cracks or worn away mortar joints from things like smoke not drafting out of the chimney as it should. You may smell smoke or fumes in your house from a compromised chimney liner, or you may have been told by someone like a plumber or air conditioner repairman that your chimney liner needs repair. The best way to find out if your chimney liner needs replacement is to have a qualified chimney inspector examine your chimney. Our chimney sweeps are Chimney Sweep Institute of America (CSIA) certified and can inspect your chimney for liner damage. We use specialized video cameras as part of our level two and three inspections, and we will scan the inside of your chimney to determine if there is damage to your terra-cotta chimney liner.
If you have an older home with a narrow masonry chimney and suspect it may be damaged, contact us to perform an inspection. A defective or broken chimney liner should not be ignored. If not addressed, a damaged chimney liner could lead to a chimney fire or breathing in toxic fumes. We can repair your damaged terra-cotta chimney liner using FireGuard. We offer chimney inspection and FireGuard application services in Woodland Park CO, Colorado Springs CO, Lake George CO, Buena Vista CO, Salida CO, Hartsel CO; call us now at (719) 661-3277. One of our chimney experts can discuss if your terra-cotta chimney liner needs to be repaired with FireGuard.
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