After every winter I notice small piles of sand-like material on my fireplace damper. Is my chimney slowly falling apart?
Answer
It could be. We’ve seen this many times, and it’s often deteriorated mortar falling from higher up inside the chimney. We usually recommend addressing it sooner rather than later because chimneys rarely repair themselves, and the damage generally continues to spread. Sometimes the repair is as simple as replacing deteriorated mortar, while other chimneys require sections to be rebuilt. Taking care of it early usually gives homeowners more repair options and helps avoid a much larger repair later.
