What happened to this chimney?
user-788447
| Posted in General Questions on
We have clients in demo phase who discovered that the exterior brick of the chimney near the firebox and underneath a coat of stucco had nearly disintegrated. The house is a 1935 stucco Tudor style.
There is a great photo at this link: http://www.minnephithouse.com/?p=365
Is this simply a matter of moisture vapor escaping through the masonry over time or is there some chemistry happening here due to the wood combustion?
For fun also check out the pickup truck demo video: http://www.minnephithouse.com/?p=376
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Replies
J,
My guess: low-quality bricks that were saturated with moisture for many years and suffered freeze damage during cold weather.
There are many possible sources of the moisture, including rain, moisture from indoor air, and condensed moisture from flue gases.