Keep Water Out With Expert Chimney Crown Repairs!

Every year, homeowners experience chimney leaks that damage their chimneys, fireplaces, walls, and ceilings. Unfortunately, many of these leaks go undetected for a long time, allowing them to do a lot of damage. Is your chimney protected against water?

One of the most important players in warding off water is your chimney’s crown. The crown is the cement slab that rests at the top of your chimney, closing it off from the outside elements. Unless you’ve spent time on your roof, you probably haven’t had a good look at your chimney crown, which is why it’s important that you schedule annual inspections. During an inspection, our technicians will take a good look at your crown, evaluating it for proper construction and proper condition.

What Makes A Good Chimney Crown?

Even though it may seem like a simple enough concept, a lot goes into designing a proper chimney crown if it’s to perform its job year after year. Whenever we inspect a chimney crown, we check for the following design aspects:

• Proper Materials – The crown should be constructed of a cement mixture that’s designed to handle years of weather abuse. Unfortunately, many crowns we see are constructed of mortar that will quickly crack and crumble. We follow the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s recommendations and construct our chimney crowns out of a Portland cement mixture.
• Proper Slope – Even if your crown is built of the toughest materials, if water is allowed to pool, it can wear away at the crown and lead to cracks and deterioration. To prevent this from happening, it’s imperative that the crown be designed with a slope that will encourage water to run off of the crown instead of settling there.
• Proper Overhang – A chimney crown shouldn’t just end at the chimney’s edge; if it does, it will dump water directly onto your flashing and into your chimney’s masonry. A crown without a proper overhang will largely contribute to leaks instead of preventing them. We build all of our crowns with at least 2 inches of overhang on all sides.
• Proper Thickness – One of the most common issues we see with chimney crown construction is that they are too thin. If your crown isn’t designed to the proper thickness, water and weather can steadily wear at the crown and make its way into your chimney.

We Can Repair Or Rebuild Your Crown!

If you haven’t had your chimney crown evaluated by professional and certified chimney technician, give Atlas Chimney a call at 512-702-7415 or click here. We’ll check your crown for any cracks or other damage and make the needed repairs. If poor construction is to blame for your issues, we can construct a new crown that will serve you for years to come. Call or click today!

Your chimney system is not completely protected without a properly installed chimney cap. Find out if you need this chimney repair before the problems start!