Chimney Crown – Every Chimney Deserves The Royal Treatment From Northeastern Chimney, Inc.
Our chimney sweep crews help customers in towns like Glastonbury, Marlborough, Hebron, Portland, East Hampton, Farmington, Berlin, Vernon, and Rocky Hill with chimney crown rebuilding as well as chimney cap installations.
When it is pouring rain out, it pays to have an umbrella – right? Well, your chimney needs protection from all that water, too. Just as your roof protects your home from the elements, your chimney crown protects your chimney from damaging moisture. The chimney crown is essentially a small masonry roof that covers the top of your chimney, allowing only the flue to be open. (Your flue should be protected too, with a chimney cap.) The chimney crown prevents water from seeping into the bricks and mortar that your chimney is built with.
When a chimney crown is cracked or damaged, water can seep into the masonry materials and start deteriorating from the inside out. Chimney repair or chimney crown sealing is the best solution for a failing chimney crown and will save you from dealing with costly structural chimney repairs that could occur if neglected. Our technicians can do a quick visual inspection of the top of your chimney and determine how watertight your chimney crown is. If cracks or vulnerabilities are found, we will recommend the best course of action to take before it becomes a bigger problem.
Crown Coating Treatment for Crown Sealing Can Sometimes Fit The Bill
If your chimney crown is cracked, but still structurally sound we may be able to seal the existing crown with a long-lasting, flexible coating that will provide a waterproof membrane on top of your chimney crown. Larger cracks can be filled with patching material prior to applying the final crown sealing coating. When used properly these coatings can remain intact and effective for up to 15 years.
So, if your crown is showing signs of age and deterioration – put a stop to it now, before further damage occurs. When a chimney crown is in the first stages of deterioration sealant is a far less expensive alternative to crown rebuilding or chimney repair. Unfortunately, many times masons may just use mortar mix to create a top for the chimney. Mortar is not a very weather resistant material and will crack and leak very quickly. This type of crown will not last long and should be replaced with a concrete chimney cap before serious damage occurs to the chimney itself.
Chimney Crown Rebuilding
When the crown has missing pieces and lacks any structural integrity, the only remedy is to remove the failing crown and replace it using a pre-cast concrete or cast-in-place steel reinforced concrete cap. Some caps can be constructed of metal or stone as well. A properly designed chimney cap should overhang the actual dimensions of the chimney itself, stopping water from running directly down the face of the bricks. The top of the chimney crown where it meets the flue wall should be the high point of the crown, with the surface sloping away from the flue. This diverts water off the chimney and onto the roof below for proper drainage via the gutters and downspouts. Flashing is usually put under the crown to fully seal off the chimney from moisture.