In past centuries chimneys were
used every day for cooking and heating.
The constant heat kept the
chimney warm and dry, even though
the top of the flue opened directly to
the sky. I suspect chimney leaks were
more acceptable back then, but now,
owners expect their chimneys to be
completely waterproof. Finding the
cause of moisture problems can take
as much effort as fixing them. Here's
the process I went through when I
fixed two chimneys with different
kinds of moisture problems.
Moisture From Within
Fort Western, in Augusta, Maine, is
an early military barracks and museum.
The barracks have four threestory-
high chimneys (see Figure 1). In
1988 weathered mortar joints on the
caps above the roof had