Is Your Chimney Crown Cracked or Damaged?

Have you ever laid awake at night worrying about your chimney crown? Probably not, but there are reasons why you should be thinking about it. Your Chimney crown sits at the top of your chimney, it is the cement portion with sloping sides that causes water to run away from your chimney and chimney flue. This keeps your chimney from water damage and could save you from troublesome repairs in the future.

Is your chimney Crown Strong?

A strong well-built chimney crown will have thick concrete and sloping sides. Your chimney crown should not be worn away by weather or be relatively flat with no sloping.

Also, there should be no cracks visible. A chimney crown suffering from those issues is not functioning and will be unable to do its job. This could leave you with water damage.

Should you Seal Your Chimney Crown?

If your chimney crown is in good shape and you want to keep it that way, sealing your crown is the way to do it. Sealing refers to the process of coating the chimney crown with a waterproof sealant that keeps excess water from being sucked into the porous cement of your chimney crown. This will enable it to withstand several years of freeze and thaw cycles.

So, the answer to the question “should you seal your chimney crown?” is YES! This could extend the life of your chimney crown and help to further protect against water damage.

How can you tell if you need to rebuild your chimney crown?

A damaged chimney crown will have several signs that need to be paid attention to.

Cracks

Freeze and thaw cycles do not just affect masonry, but they also affect cement crowns. small cracks can turn into big cracks easily. This allows even more water to enter and could eventually damage the chimney structure.

Missing Crown

If your crown has experienced extreme weathering and been completely worn away then it’s time for a chimney crown rebuild.

Problem with airflow

If the chimney crown has been damaged causing interference between the flue liner and the crown then the airflow may be restricted

Chimney Crown Repairs

A well-functioning chimney has several parts that allow it to work efficiently and effectively. Without one of these parts the chimney is compromised and prone to more and more damage. The chimney crown is one of those parts that you may not even notice but if you don’t have one or the one you have has been severely damaged, it won’t be long before you start to experience the effects.

Here at Hudson Valley Chimney, we know each and every part of your chimney, how it should work, and how to fix it should something be amiss. If you have any questions or know you need a new chimney crown, don’t hesitate to give us a call or contact us using our online form. You can even send us photos to receive a free virtual assessment of your chimney crown or schedule an appointment for us to check it out in person. Whatever your needs are you don’t have to wait another minute. Call us today at (845) 471-1071 .