WATER REPELLENT

Chimneys have all sorts of places that water can sneak in. Cracked, spalling, or loose bricks, cracks in the crown, flashing, or simply not having a cap. In New England, water finds its way into these cracks and crevases then freezes. The ice expands breaking mortar joints cracking crowns and spalling bricks. Water repellant might cost you a few hundred bucks but that's a fraction of what it costs to repair a water damaged chimney. Water repellant should be treated like a preventive maintenance and should be applied every 5-10 yrs.