Our Services
Crown repair that keeps rain out in Winter Springs
The inspection costs nothing, and you choose between sealing and rebuilding with both options priced.
What the crown does at the top of the chimney
Around the flues at the top of a masonry chimney sits a slab of concrete or mortar, the crown. It meets the rain first and should throw it clear of the brick. In Florida Building Code terms it is a cap of concrete, metal or stone, pitched to shed water, edged with a drip and kept apart from each flue liner by a caulked bond break.
Once the crown cracks or loses its slope, water gets into the upper brick, reaches the flue joints and eventually shows up at the fireplace or on a ceiling. Repairing it early usually keeps the job to the crown alone.
A crown that sheds water
A flat or dished crown holds water after every storm, and standing water finds every crack. The code says a masonry chimney's top must slope to shed water, and the slope should run from the flues toward the edges on every side.
From the roof we look for low spots, stains where water has sat and grime collected in hollows. If the slope is poor, a coating will not fix it, and the crown is reformed to drain. We explain what we see and how the new top will shed water.
Loose brick under the crown
Water that gets past a failing crown soaks the top courses of brick first. Mortar joints soften, bricks loosen and faces begin to flake. A new crown set on loose brick will crack along the same lines as the old one.
We check the upper courses at every crown inspection. Where they are sound, the crown work goes ahead on its own. Where they are loose, we reset or replace them first and list that masonry work separately on the estimate.
Crowns on stucco-finished chimneys
A stucco finish covers the brick or block of many chimneys, and the crown sits on top of that system. Where the crown meets the stucco, a crack or open joint lets water behind the finish, where it can travel a long way before it shows.
We check the crown edge and the top of the stucco together. If water has already got behind the finish, the crown repair includes sealing that joint, and any stucco damage is priced on its own line.
