Our Services
Our masonry specialists on the chimney top in Kolokee
You learn what a coating can fix, and what only a rebuild can, before any work starts.
Hairline cracks and cracks that go through
Fine surface cracks in a sound crown can often be sealed. Cracks that run through the full thickness, open wider at the edge or let pieces move are a different problem, because water passes straight through them into the chimney below.
Crack width and depth, hollow spots found by tapping and whether the edges are still firmly attached tell us whether a coating will hold or the crown needs to come off. You see the difference before any price is written.
Precast and cast-in-place crowns
A crown can be cast on the chimney or made in advance and set on a mortar bed. The Brick Industry Association says prefabricated caps generally perform better than cast-in-place ones and are more easily made water-resistant, and it recommends that a cast-in-place crown follow the same shape, with thickened sides and an overhang.
Both can be done well. The choice depends on the chimney's size and shape, access to the roof and how the flues are arranged. We explain which approach fits your chimney and price it in writing before any work starts.
An overhang with a drip edge
Water that runs off the crown should fall clear of the brick instead of running down the face. A crown that projects past the brick with a groove or edge underneath, called a drip, breaks the path of the water so it drops away.
Masonry chimney tops need a drip edge under the Florida Building Code. Where a crown has no overhang, the Brick Industry Association suggests corbeling the top two courses of brick outward to form one. When we rebuild a crown, the overhang and drip are formed into it from the start.
Sealing and rebuilding priced side by side
When a crown could reasonably be coated or rebuilt, you should see both options. A coating costs less today, and a rebuild addresses slope, overhang and thickness that a coating cannot change. An edge repair can sit between the two when only the rim has failed.
Both go on the estimate with their prices and a plain note on what each leaves unfixed. The decision is yours, nothing is hidden in the total, and either one is 10% off if you schedule it within 72 hours of the inspection.
