Throughout the lifetime of your home, there is a large possibility that you will need to perform some type of maintenance in order to keep its intricately designed and delicately balanced parts from leaking or becoming damaged. The chimney and fireplace area, including surrounding drywall indoors, are prone to damage from water.
If you are experiencing water marks on your ceiling or on the walls near the chimney, it is worth your while to take a look at the integrity of your flashing. If your flashing is rusted out or is pulling away from the home, replacing the entire flashing system is the best repair, but using a flashing repair system is another option especially if there is no visible damage to flashing. If you suspect that the flashing is simply no longer water tight, repairing it may be more appropriate than replacing it.
Other leaks which can damage the inside of your home due to damage on the outside include brick and mortar problems. Nothing is more unsightly when having the entire family over for the holidays than big water marks on the walls or ceiling near the fireplace where you keep your family photos and the holiday wreath. Cracks in the brick on your chimney are an obvious point of entry for water, and when water problems happen repairing cracks in brick is a step that should be taken even before the flashing is considered. Applying a flexible silicon sealant to the cracks is a must, and after this dries it is prudent
to cover the crack and the surrounding area with water repellent.
Even when no visible cracks can be seen and the flashing is intact, water is still able to get into some bricks. To prevent water from seeping into the pores of the brick and allowing the water to enter into your home, applying water repellent to the entire area near where the water damage is occurring is one way to go. Be sure that the water repellent that you select is breathable and will not trap existing vapors inside the brick. If you are looking to water proof a smaller area, using a hose and soaking the brick bit by bit from the bottom up, and waiting fifteen minutes every couple of feet, you may be able to pinpoint where the water is entering.