A leaning chimney should be addressed right away. If this issue is ignored, the loose bricks could fall on people. Pests and water can infiltrate the gap between the siding and chimney. The combustible gas can leak from the chimney going into your home when you are using the fireplace. If you think that you have a leaning chimney, you should act right away so you can protect your family and home from these standards.

You can contact the masonry contractor to check if you need to have a new one built, and remember that it is not the end of the world. However, this problem is pertinent that you need to prioritize so you can find a solution.

Here are the causes of a leaning chimney:

The Structure is Deteriorating

Those who are familiar with the freezing coldness of winter, blazing hot summer, and these weather shifts, and temperature drops can all be damaging to homes and structures. The concrete can be damaged by the temperamental weather and tends to crack. Freeze and thaw cycles can trap moisture in the base, which causes it to deteriorate quickly.

Roof Damage Close to the Chimney

Your chimney is going to extend past your roof, where the siding will transition towards the roof. While the chimney is shifting, it is going to damage the nearby area and gutter. Shingles, gutters, or other roof materials near the chimney can start to show signs of damage or they could even fall off.

In other cases, the roofing and siding can just hang off, which makes it easy to spot. However, the damage is not always obvious.

The Base is Too Small

An older home might have a couple of missteps during construction or it could have been faced with age that eroded a solid chimney to one that slowly deteriorates.

For any homeowner, this means the chimney footing is too small to carry its weight, or maybe the time has already taken a toll on its base, which is the most important part of the chimney. A sturdy footing for the chimney should have a thickness of one foot and extends six inches per side.

Gaps Between the Wall and Chimney

Aside from the damage caused by the shift in your chimney, the space it occupied in the past is going to be left open. Even a small gap can be risky, and its size increases over time.

For the larger gap, it is most likely to have moisture or other damage that can invade your home from this vulnerable and new spot. If you like to shop, you should always be on the lookout for gaps.

Soil Erosion

Water is the most damaging to any foundation, even one that is newly built. When there is moisture, it can go into crevices and cracks, weakening a structure that comes from inside and out. A chimney is not an exception to the water path with the least resistance, and one way or another, the soil and moisture that goes around the chimney’s base will wreak havoc on its structure.

This will not happen overnight, and it takes many years for the landscape around it to loosen, which causes a shift. There are some types of soil that are unable to hold the weight of the big chimneys. If the soil is too loose, it will cause the chimney’s base to shift, which results in tilting that you can easily see from the ground.

You can contact outdoor fireplace builders Long Island as well to check why your chimney is leaning so the issue can be addressed right away.