Concrete Chimney Crowns

What is a chimney crown?

The chimney crown is the cement structure on top of the chimney. The bricks go up around the tile flue liners, but at the top you need something to stop the rain and snow from falling in around the tiles. You can see that the very purpose of the chimney crown is to keep rain out. Cracks in the chimney crown can occur from shifting of the structure or from shrinkage dating back to the first day the crown was put on. When your crown has cracks, the water goes right through those cracks.

How do you fix a chimney crown?

How to fix a cracked crown depends upon how bad the damage is. Most crowns have small cracks. Even small ones need to be fixed because all big cracks started out as small ones. Water freezes and thaws in the cracks all winter long, year after year, forcing small cracks to eventually become big cracks. There are excellent crown coating materials such as Chimney Saver Crown Coat which cover the masonry and prevent small cracks from becoming a real problem. Once chimney crown damage is significant, the only fix it is to remove and relay the masonry. You can’t put a band aid on a gushing wound and you can’t coat a structurally ruined chimney crown and expect it to work.

When is it time to get my chimney crown repaired?

One crack in your chimney crown can lead to water entering the interior of the chimney, which leads to brick and mortar breakdown. We will remove your existing chimney cap and construct a new, 4″ concrete chimney cap with bond break, Durawall and drip edge. Contact our chimney repair pros from Felgemacher.