A cracked chimney crown is a common chimney repair. Even if you never use your fireplace, the crown can deteriorate over time. Although a cracked crown is not a safety issue, this chimney repair will extend the life of the chimney structure and will avoid a costly chimney repair in the future.
A cracked or deteriorated masonry chimney crown allows rainwater to penetrate into the chimney structure and causes damage to the mortar joints and bricks. With time, the mortar joints will become loose causing the bricks to fall out. If nothing is done, eventually the chimney will have to rebuilt from the roofline up.
The crown’s deterioration is generally caused by its exposure to Mother Nature–the sun, rain, snow, wind, temperature variations as well as salt air, if you live close to the ocean.
Applying a flexible crown sealer will fill in the cracks in the crown and will create a surface impervious to water, adding many years to the chimney’s life and overall condition.
Before and After
Note: Unfortunately there are times when the damage to the crown is so extensive that the crown cannot just be resurfaced. In those cases, the crown may have to be removed and re-poured.