The Best Time to Schedule Chimney Repairs

Like other parts of your house, the chimney undergoes significant wear and tear from high temperatures and weather. Over time, minor issues like cracks and deteriorating mortar joints can lead to major headaches, like water damage and fire safety issues. Routine maintenance and upkeep are essential to prolonging your chimney’s lifespan, ensuring the system runs efficiently, and keeping your family safe.

There’s an old saying that applies to residents in Mercer County: “It’s either winter or construction season.” Having said that, here’s why we think masonry repairs are best done in spring or summer. 

Why Spring and Summer are The Best Seasons for Masonry Repairs

Most experts agree that warm weather is better for masonry repairs for several reasons.

First, warm weather is preferable for outdoor work because of more hospitable temperatures, longer daylight hours, and less chance of precipitation. Spring and summer make it easier for workers to complete the job quicker because the materials used in repairs dry and cure better than they do in cold weather.

Secondly, spring and summer are typically off-season for chimney service companies because most people wait until late fall or early winter to get their fireplace and chimney ready for cold weather, and companies’ schedules fill up quickly. Because they’re not as busy in spring and summer, it’s easier to schedule repairs, cleaning, and inspections that conform with your schedule. This typically means faster service and potentially lower costs since the demand for the contractor isn’t as high.

Finally, scheduling spring or summer chimney repairs allows you to clear it off your to-do list, so you don’t have to worry about it later. It’s easy for people to get busy in summer with vacations and family outings. Too often, homeowners put off or forget about chimney maintenance and then scramble to get everything done at once when it gets close to winter. As mentioned, the materials used in masonry repairs work better in warm weather. If you wait until fall or winter, the repair you need may not be possible, depending on the temperature. Using a damaged chimney or fireplace puts your family at risk of a fire. 

Common Spring and Summer Masonry Repairs

The most common chimney repairs we encounter are:

• Crown repair
• Tuckpointing
• Leak diagnostics
• Flue repair
• Cleaning and inspections

Besides repairs, spring, and summer are ideal for chimney cleaning too. Like fixing bricks and mortar joints, it’s best to remove creosote and other debris from the chimney as soon as possible, so you don’t panic when winter arrives and realize you forgot to do it. 

Expert Chimney Repair in Mercer County

Whether you need tuckpointing, crown repair, flue repair, chimney cleaning, inspection, or maintenance, trust the pros at Mercer County Chimney Service. We’re a locally owned, full-service chimney sweep in Hamilton, NJ, and Mercer County. Our technicians are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Fireplace Institute. We also sell and service gas and wood fireplace inserts, and wood and gas stoves. Call today to schedule an appointment at 609-802-5288 or complete our online form.