Orange County
(714) 843-9944

Long Beach
(562) 595-5122

Los Angeles
(310) 377-8163

Orange County
(714) 843-9944

Long Beach
(562) 595-5122

Los Angeles
(310) 377-8163

Founder: Steve Lovsteen

Why Your Chimney Has White Stains

You’ve probably seen a lot of chimneys with white stains on their exteriors. You may see these stains on your own chimney. While this doesn’t point to an immediately dangerous issue with the chimney, it could become very dangerous if ignored.

White Stains on Chimney, Lake Forest CA, Mission Viejo CA, and Long Beach CAOliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace of Huntington Beach, CA, specializes in all types of chimney repairs, including addressing white stains, which are known as “efflorescence.” We even help when animals are stuck in your chimney.

What Causes Efflorescence?

The white stains you see on your chimney are actually salts that are being leached out of the bricks by intruding water. Bricks are made of a porous material and will allow small amounts of water into them over time.

Problems arise when excess water intrudes into the bricks. It doesn’t take long for water to move into cracks within the bricks or gaps in deteriorated mortar and begin causing serious trouble with the masonry.

Water eats away at bricks, and eventually will allow water to move into the interior areas of the chimney, where more damage will occur.

Common Results of Water Damage to Chimneys

The Oliver Twist crew has seen just about every type of water-damaged chimney there is. Common results of chimney leaks include:

Efflorescence Chimney Repairs in Torrance CA, San Juan Capistrano CA, and Costa Mesa CA

  • Ongoing deterioration of the bricks and mortar, causing masonry to fall away from the chimney
  • A chimney that leans to one side
  • A collapsed chimney and resulting roof damage
  • Decay of the chimney liner, leading to carbon monoxide and other gases moving into your home
  • Fire in adjacent home building materials during  fireplace use
  • Rust on the fireplace damper, making it hard to operate

What to Do About White Chimney Stains

The first step in addressing efflorescence is a thorough chimney inspection. We know there’s some amount of water affecting the bricks, but we need to know how much. We also need to determine if there is collateral damage, as described above.

If you keep a regular eye on your chimney and alert us when efflorescence has just started, solving the problem is fairly straightforward. We’ll closely inspect the bricks and mortar to see if anything needs to be replaced. We’ll then apply a water sealant to your masonry, which will prevent the problem in the future.

If collateral damage has happened, we’ll make the necessary repairs before water-sealing the chimney.

Certified Chimney Sweeps

Certified Chimney Sweeping in Inglewood CA, Manhattan Beach CA, and Huntington Beach CA

It’s important to note that all chimney work performed by Oliver Twist technicians is done in full compliance with the numerous California state codes that regulate building and safety practices.

This is very important, and it’s why you should only trust experienced chimney crews to ever work on your California chimney.

We’ll Help You Keep Your Chimney Safe and Efficient

Whatever is wrong with your chimney, our team knows how to fix it. Give us a call at (714) 843-9944 or reach out with our handy contact form.

Oliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace provides complete chimney services and inspections for chimney problems in Huntington Beach CA, Long Beach CA, Torrance CA, Anaheim CA, Santa Ana CA, Cerritos CA, Whittier CA, Newport Beach CA, Costa Mesa CA, and many more SoCal communities.