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
