Can you paint chimney

When you cover your chimney with a coat of paint, you are sealing up the pores of the brick. Moisture becomes trapped inside the bricks because the paint is blocking it from escaping. This ultimately creates moisture buildup. Keep in mind that brick sealant can have the same effect. Otherwise, you will have the same issue as painting your chimney. When moisture gets trapped from painting your chimney, one of the first elements it can affect is the mortar.

Eventually, the mortar will break down and the structural integrity of the chimney will suffer. If this damage goes undetected, even further damage can arise or the chimney may eventually begin to crumble.

Interior water damage can manifest in problems such as peeling of the walls, stains on the walls and ceilings, and even mold. You will likely spend a significant amount of money repairing these issues. Depending on which part of the country you are in, this can happen almost every day for the majority of the cold season.

This is called the freeze-thaw cycle , and this is where painting exterior bricks and chimneys becomes a bad idea. Once that water or water vapor is trapped behind a beautiful layer of paint, it will freeze, expand, exert pressure on your bricks, causing them to spall or crack.

With more water entering and none escaping, a painted brick will deteriorate at a much faster rate than an unpainted one. Yes, an unpainted brick still suffers from the freeze-thaw cycle, but the key to giving your exterior brick a longer life is limiting the water that saturates bricks, while still allowing water vapor to get out.

One option is contacting a reputable brick staining company. Yep, you heard me right — you can stain bricks to change their color. Let them know your concerns about trapping moisture inside the bricks to ensure they use a top-quality brick stain that will allow your bricks to breathe out water vapor.

Even if you decide to forgo the color changes, you will definitely want to seal your bricks with a vapor-permeable brick sealant like ChimneySaver. Remember, limit water going in while allowing water vapor to go out, and your chimney can last you a lifetime.

This will be a challenge, but we have seen it done using a combination of patience and chemical strippers.

If you get too aggressive with removing paint from a chimney, you could very well do more harm than good. Some chimneys may have been fine when they were first painted, but now several layers of paint are hiding extremely weak, crumbly masonry that has been saturated over the years. If you attempt to pressure wash or wire brush the chimney, you may end up with rubble over your roof wondering what the next steps are.

Unless your brick is in excellent condition, you are likely looking at a rebuild of your chimney. The selection of solvent-based over water-based repellent makes all the difference. Also, never install a water repellent that is not vapor permeable. Vapor permeability means that it will allow the moisture to come from within the structure and exit through the surface or exposed faces of the brickwork.

Never install a "brick sealer". By definition, it implies that it is not vapor permeable. Remember, you get what you pay for, so be sure to check all warranties and guarantees! Painting a chimney prevents moisture from escaping the chimney structure properly, ultimately doing serious damage to your chimney and causing it to leak water. To learn more about what Doctor Flue can do for you, or to set up an appointment, give us a call at or send us an email at office drflue.

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