Is Crown Damage Behind Your Chimney Leak? We’ll Take Care Of It

The chimney crown is a concrete piece of the chimney system that’s designed to fit the top of the chimney like, well, a crown. It sits just below the cap and its sole purpose is to keep rainwater and other moisture from entering the chimney. It should be slightly angled to allow rain and snow to run off instead of gathering and resting on the crown; it should extend beyond the edge of the chimney to avoid dumping this rain and snow down onto the masonry or flashing below; and it should be thick enough to withstand a little water corrosion without springing a leak.

The problem is, many crowns are built of the wrong materials, like simple mortar mix, which isn’t as resistant to water damage, cracking, and crumbling as concrete or cement is. Additionally, we find crowns that are less than 3” thick, that lack the angle to allow moisture to run off, and that end at the chimney’s edge. All of these are design problems that can result in a rapidly deteriorating and failing crown and a leaky chimney.

The other problem is, unless you’re a roofer or a chimney sweep, you probably don’t see the crown very often, which can make it hard to detect damage early on. You may not know you even have a water problem until you see things like crumbling masonry, wood rot, or notice damage to your chimney flue or water pooling in your fireplace.

That’s one of the many reasons we strongly urge our clients to schedule routine chimney inspections with a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney professional. The techs here at CinderBox Chimney Services follow the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines for level 1 and 2 inspections and can give you a full report on your chimney’s condition — and if you’re scheduling it annually (like the NFPA and CSIA recommend), you’ll typically find out about problems with the system while they’re still small.

Stock photo of Crown that needs repair.  Spalling on the top looks like a messing tuckpointing job that needs to be redone. The roof is made of tile and the sky is a beautiful blue with clouds.

Whether Your Crown Problem Is Big Or Small, We Can Fix It

If an inspection reveals a problem with your chimney crown or if you’re here because you already know there’s a problem, we can help. We’re expertly trained and certified to repair and replace crowns and we’re proud of the crown repair and replacement work we do. Whether we’re sealing cracks and waterproofing the crown to prevent further cracking and deteriorating or we’re removing a poorly designed crown and replacing it with a new one, we stand behind our work and guarantee professional, superior results.

If a full rebuild is needed, we’ll carefully remove the crown, clean the bricks below it so that the new crown will effectively bond and seal properly, and use forms with a 4” overhang to construct a new crown. Once the crown is finished, we’ll waterproof it to provide additional protection against the elements, leaving you with a crown that’s durable and protected.

Don’t Let Your Crown Get You Down — Call On CinderBox Chimney Services

Don’t let water take over your chimney system and your life — let CinderBox Chimney Services take care of it. Call 317-442-8440 or use our online appointment request form to have one of our highly educated and experienced certified chimney professionals put a stop to your chimney leak, fast.

 

Waterproofing your chimney masonry greatly decreases the likelihood of unwanted chimney leaks, so call us today to set up your appointment.