10/11/2026
The most reliable way to find a chimney leak is to reproduce it on purpose. A water test isolates each possible entry point in sequence, starting low and working up, while someone watches inside for the stain to appear. The first spot that reproduces it is your answer, and it gets documented with photos. Clean Sweep 317 offers a free inspection for chimney leaks, and a free water test when one is needed to pinpoint the source. Why now? Central Indiana leaks get worse in a specific way: water that sits in masonry through a freeze widens every crack it occupies, so a small fall leak becomes a bigger one by spring. Masonry repairs also need temperatures above freezing to cure, which is why October still has a repair window and January does not. We have served the Indianapolis area since 2014, hold a BBB A+ rating, and carry a 4.9 star average across more than 795 Google reviews. Get it found before the cold sets in.
Water stains near the fireplace rarely point to the obvious culprit. Learn the common chimney and chase leak sources and how a water test finds yours.