Exterior Chimney Repointing

Aero offers a variety of masonry repairs for your chimney such as re-pointing (tuck pointing), crown repair, waterproofing, and installation of chimney caps.

Some of the masonry repairs we are often called to perform include:

waterproofing

pouring concrete crown

embedding concrete rain caps in the new crown

replacing any damaged bricks

re-pointing of the mortar

We have 3 types of rain caps we can install on your chimney: Concrete, Metal and Stainless Steel (for Chimney Systems).Our concrete caps are rugged, heavy and have an excellent five-year warranty. Concrete caps are exclusively installed on masonry chimneys.

The metal rain caps can be installed on masonry chimneys as well as the Stainless Steel ones. Most Stainless Steel rain caps are usually designed for specific chimney systems and if we don’t carry one in stock we can order exactly what you need.

All these rain caps protect the flue from weather damage especially rain water. When excessive water enters a chimney flue it can run down the flue liners and brick causing damage over time. In addition, rain will rust out metal parts of a fireplace including the damper and firebox. If you see water drip marks inside your fireplace or running out of your flues, you should have a chimney cap installed!

Roof Top Dampers
(Energy Top Dampers)

Simply, Roof Top Dampers save you on heating costs. We install roof top dampers for fireplaces who have no firebox damper or if it is damaged beyond repair. The roof top damper is affixed to the top of the flue and a cable is run down into the firebox. When you have a fire you pull the cable handle opening up the damper. You close it after the fire has gone out to prevent household heat from escaping out the flue. You will save a bundle on your heating costs by stopping drafty fireplaces from sucking out all your heat.

Chimney Lining Systems

At Aero we install chimney liners of all sizes and types. We can replace a burnt out liner that has passed its life expectancy or we can install one into a masonry chimney making it safer and more efficient.

Masonry chimneys have either flue tiles made of clay or concrete or no liner just brick and mortar. We often find if the woodstove or oil furnace is in an older house (pre 1950’s) there is oftentimes no liner. If that’s the case we do recommend a stainless steel liner to bring it up to code and make it safer. When a masonry chimney has broken clay or concrete flue tiles or after a chimney fire it may be time to install a liner system. We can give you a competitive install quote backed up with our warranty.

Factory Built Chimney Systems

At Aero we replace old worn Factory Built chimneys and make sure our install meets all WETT and B365 code. In front of Shilo is the old rusted out system we removed and she is holding the new system we are replacing it with.

new stove install

Aero sells and installs new freestanding stoves, fireplace inserts and hearth mounted stoves.

The Tools & Knowledge To De-Glaze Your Chimney Right!

To mechanically clean your system, Aero’s technicians use a mechanical high-speed, half-inch drill and a cable whip. These tools will allow us to break down and safely remove the glazed creosote without damaging the chimney.

What Is Glazed Creosote?

Creosote is a liquid that condenses onto the inner walls of connector pipes and chimneys as wood smoke cools. When creosote dries, it gradually hardens, taking the following forms:

Stage 1: velvet soot

Stage 2: porous and crunchy in makeup

Stage 3: shiny, rock-hard chimney glaze

The buildup of chimney glaze is denser and harder than brick, and sticks to the chimney inside walls.

A standard chimney sweep service will not remove the baked-on glaze that’s developed on your chimney walls. To remove second and third stage creosote, we recommend and perform a detailed mechanical cleaning.

How Did Glazed Creosote Develop In My Chimney?

Creosote is an expected byproduct of combustion, but glazed creosote usually comes about due to user practices that can and should be avoided.

The biggest contributor tends to be the homeowner’s use of wood that’s green or not completely dry. Green or non-seasoned wood still has moisture in it, and that extra moisture makes your fire burn at a lower temperature than it would with proper, seasoned cordwood. The cooler fire results in more creosote, which dries at a relatively slow pace. As new layers of creosote form over still-wet layers, glazed creosote starts to develop. Be sure to exclusively burn seasoned firewood, and you will greatly reduce your chances of developing glazed creosote in your chimney system.

Something else to keep in mind: when you burn a fire, make sure to open the flue damper completely. A damper that’s only partially opened allows the fire to smolder, and can contribute to increased creosote levels and the development of glazed creosote.