After a bad storm, chimneys are usually one of the first parts of a roof worth checking, since they sit higher and more exposed than almost anything else on the property. High winds and driving rain can cause damage that isn't always obvious from the ground, so it's worth knowing what to look for if you've had a significant storm pass through Barton Hill.
Start with the pots. High winds can crack, chip or dislodge a chimney pot, and in more severe cases loosen it enough that it's at risk of falling. If a pot looks tilted or you can see daylight around its base where it meets the flaunching, that's worth treating as a priority rather than something to check next time you're up a ladder.
Flaunching, the mortar fillet holding the pots in place at the top of the stack, is particularly vulnerable during storms because it's already a weak point prone to cracking with age, and sudden wind loading can worsen existing cracks or dislodge sections outright. Check for fresh debris around the base of the chimney or in gutters, which often indicates material has come loose from higher up.
Overall stability is the more serious concern. A stack that appears to have shifted, developed new cracks running through several courses, or that moves when observed carefully from a safe distance, should be treated as urgent, since storm damage can compromise a chimney's structural integrity in ways that aren't always visible until you look closely. Lead flashing is also worth checking, since high winds can lift or tear sections that were previously secure, opening the way for water ingress during the next spell of rain.
On terraced properties, which make up a good share of the housing across Barton Hill, it's also worth a quick glance at neighbouring chimneys where a party wall stack is shared or closely adjoining, since storm damage affecting one side can sometimes affect the other, and a shared repair is often more straightforward to arrange together than separately. It's also worth taking a few photos of any visible damage once it's safe to do so, both from the ground and, if you can get a clear view, from an upstairs window. This is useful for insurance purposes, and it gives us a helpful reference point when discussing the damage over the phone before arranging a visit, particularly if there's any doubt about how urgent the repair actually is. Even where nothing looks obviously wrong after a storm, it's worth a follow-up check a few weeks later, since some damage, particularly hairline cracking in flaunching or mortar, can take a little time to become visually apparent even though it happened during the storm itself.
If your chimney has been through a storm and you're unsure whether what you're seeing is cosmetic or serious, don't leave it to guesswork. We offer a 24-hour emergency call-out for urgent storm damage across Barton Hill, alongside free inspections for anything that isn't immediately dangerous.
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