Lightning Struck My Chimney, Now What?
Has lightning struck your chimney? Your fireplace's chimney is usually your house's highest point, which is why it struck there. What does that mean? It means because a lightning bolt hit your chimney, it took heavy damage. It's estimated that a single lightning bolt has the electric equivalent of 200 lbs. of TNT. You may be thinking- that's all well and good; lightning struck my chimney, now what?
When Lightning Struck Your Chimney
If your chimney was just hit by lighting, look to see if any smoke is clearly visible or if there is a burning smell. Either indicates that your chimney is on fire; call 911 immediately. Inside masonry chimneys, an extremely flammable substance called creosote, generated when the wood is burned, can coat the inside of your chimney. If you don't have your chimney cleaned at least annually, there is a good chance your chimney is coated with creosote. A bolt of lightning will definitely set Creosote ablaze.
After a lightning strike, your chimney needs to be examined by competent chimney sweeps to estimate the extent of the damage.
Our chimney sweeps are national chimney sweep guild certified and have the understanding to determine how much harm the lighting strike did to your chimney. Here are a few ways that lighting could have damaged your chimney:
- A damaged chimney liner.
- Cracked or missing mortar.
- A splintered or broken crown.
- Cracked or broken bricks.
It may be that the damage to your chimney after the lightning strike is so vast it puts the entire structure at risk and will have to be reconstructed. Even if your chimney appears unharmed from the lightning strike on the outside, the interior can be a very different story. The best idea is to let us inspect your chimney to see how far the lighting damage extends and what repairs are needed.
It could be just a few cracked or broken bricks that need repair to prevent water from getting inside your chimney, or the damage could be so widespread that the chimney and the liner will need replacement.
Chimney Sweeps, Inc Can Fix Lightning Damage
If your chimney has been struck by lightning and you don't know how much damage was done, get in touch right away. Our chimney sweeps have the experience and training to locate the damage and repair your chimney. Call now at 619-593-4020 or complete our simple contact form. One of our chimney experts will gladly discuss fixing your chimney after a lightning strike.
Professional Chimney Sweeping
While our experts inspect your chimney, we will also clean your chimney to alleviate creosote buildups and clear any obstructions that could block carbon monoxide from exiting your chimney.
This will help prevent chimney fires!
