Damaged Crown? Call Lords Chimney for a Quality Repair Service

You’ve been putting it off for weeks now, but it’s as good a day as any to finally clean out those leaf-infested gutters. As you prop the ladder up against the side of the house closest to the chimney and begin to ascend the rungs, you notice bits of what appears to be mortar littering your rooftop. You look toward the chimney and find the culprit. Your chimney crown is cracked and falling apart.

Maybe you’ve seen it for yourself or perhaps you’ve been informed by a professional that your crown is damaged. Either way, one thing is for sure – your chimney crown is in need of repair.

Luckily, if you’re a homeowner near Houston or Beaumont, Lords Chimney has got you (and your chimney) covered. With nearly two decades worth of experience, our talented team of experts can do it all. There’s no place better than Lords to trust with a chimney crown repair or rebuilding.

Get started today by calling 281-497-4000 or contacting us online.

Crumbling chimney crown with mold. Pool and lake in background.

Chimney Crown Repair – Before

Chimney crown repair completed.  Nice smooth mortar on crown.  Swimming pool and lake in background.

Chimney Crown Repair – After

Chimney crown crumbling and black with smoke damage on top of composition shingles

Chimney Crown Repair – Before

Beautiful new metal chimney crown and flashing where chimney meets roof.

Chimney Crown Repair – After

What Is a Chimney Crown?

We actually get this question quite a lot. Despite their unassuming and simplistic appearance, modern chimneys are actually quite complex when it comes to the various internal and external components – all of which do a lot of work in aiding the system’s overall functioning.

Often confused with a chimney cap or a chase top, a chimney crown is a thick slab of cement built around the flue and on top of the chimney chase. Its job is to protect the open cavity of your chimney from various falling debris, water entry, and animal intrusion. A properly built crown should be built in a sort of mounded shape where it’s higher in the middle and tapers off around the edges. This is to help redirect water out and away from the chimney.

How Important Is a Crown on a Chimney?

A chimney crown is vitally important in ensuring that the chimney is both properly protected and able to perform properly. Think about it… Without a crown, your entire chimney is exposed, leaving it susceptible to all kinds of damage.

While there are a handful of common causes for most chimney damage, the biggest culprit by far is water. Even when a chimney has a structurally sound crown, water can find a way inside and wreak havoc on the system. Now, imagine how much worse the damage could be if it’s given direct and unobstructed access to the innermost cavities.

However, while water may be one of the biggest issues a chimney crown protects against, it’s not the only. A chimney’s crown is also an excellent way to ensure that your appliance does not become the newest home for a family of birds, raccoons, or some other kind of critter that prefers the cool darkness a chimney provides – along with the help of a chimney cap, of course.

Also? A well-built crown helps ensure  that no leaves, twigs, sticks, or any other debris find their way into the chimney. They may be built to endure the extreme temperatures created during combustion and ventilate harmful fumes and noxious gases, but chimneys are not as indestructible as they may seem. …especially when essential components of their design are damaged, deteriorating, or just not there.

How Long Do Chimney Crowns Last?

As much as we would love to provide a solid, steadfast answer, the truth is not so simple. For the most part – provided a chimney crown is installed properly and constructed from the appropriate materials (usually concrete or cement) – a chimney crown should last several decades to a lifetime. However, there are many factors that can ultimately determine the overall longevity.
Things like…

  • Weather conditions (like heavy rain – something we’re all too familiar with in the greater Houston area)
  • Neglect of maintenance services
  • Accidents or natural disasters
  • Natural wear and tear

All of these things can play a role in how long your chimney crown will last.

But, unfortunately – and what we see often in this industry – many times, a chimney crown starts to prematurely fail because it wasn’t built properly in the first place.

What do we mean by this?

Well, while crowns are designed to be constructed using a durable, water-resistant material like a cement/concrete mixture or a weather-treated metal (in the case of chase tops or chase covers), a lot of times, masons will simply smear the leftover mortar mixture that was used in the building process right on top of the open cavity of the chimney chase. It’s quicker and easier for them and requires no additional materials or mixing – especially because installing a chimney crown the “right” way is significantly more difficult than using what they already have up there.The problem with this method is that mortar is not waterproof, meaning it deteriorates and crumbles over time and with excessive water contact.
What do you get when you have an untreated mortar slab directly exposed to bright sun, heavy rain, and everything in between? A damaged chimney crown that does not last and will not stand the test of time. Fortunately, that’s where we come in. The talented team of professional chimney techs at Lords will get your crown repaired or rebuilt properly, the first time.
Fill out an appointment request form, or give us a call at 281-497-4000 to get started.

How Do I Know If My Chimney Crown Is Damaged?

Unfortunately, you don’t. Unless you frequent your own rooftop (which we do not recommend), there really is no way to know the general state of your chimney crown – or any other external part of the system.

Like we mentioned a bit earlier, for as simple and uncomplicated as they appear on the outside, there is a lot that goes into maintaining a functional chimney. And while all these parts are necessary for the system to operate at its optimum level of efficiency, it also means that, when something does go wrong, it can often be hard to pinpoint what is causing or contributing to the issue.

All that to say, if you notice your fireplace exhibiting signs of a leak, your chimney crown might be damaged. “How do I know my chimney is leaking?” you may ask. This one might be a little easier to discern. If you notice any of the following, your chimney likely has a leak that might have been caused by a damaged or deteriorating chimney crown:

  • Strange damp or musty odors coming from the fireplace
  • Dripping inside the fireplace
  • Water is beginning to pool on the floor of your firebox
  • Signs of water damage to your ceiling and/or walls surrounding your fireplace

How Do You Repair a Chimney Crown?

That is largely going to depend on the level of sustained damage. Sometimes, it may be that your crown doesn’t need to be rebuilt, but simply needs a little extra protection from the elements. In this case, our technicians can apply a professional waterproofing product known as CrownCoat. This eco-friendly product was designed specifically for use on chimney crowns and carries a 15-year warranty when applied by a professional.

Here in Houston and its surrounding areas, our chimneys take on a lot of rain – equip your chimney crown to better keep water out with CrownCoat. To find out more about the benefits of CrownCoat, please give us a call at 281-497-4000.

Is a rebuild in order?

Other times, a full rebuild may be in order. Usually in these instances, we’ll have to go in there and chip away at the existing crown so we can start from scratch and pour you a proper crown so you needn’t worry about any future damages.

However, many people might choose to look at a crown repair service as an opportunity to try something new. For instance, metal chase tops (or chase covers) have become more popular in recent years – and for good reason! They provide full coverage protection and create a sleek and modern look, even on the oldest of chimneys. Though they are traditionally found on prefabricated systems, chase tops are an excellent alternative to the poured crown seen on most masonry brick chimneys.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? We’d love to help with them all. Reach out to Lords Chimney through our website or by calling 281-497-4000 to learn more about your crown repair options.

Should I Hire a Professional for Chimney Crown Repairs?

While it should go without saying, we do understand and appreciate the “can do” attitude many homeowners are sporting these days when it comes to home projects. The internet makes it easy to learn how to fix, build, or replace just about anything.

…but when it comes to fireplace and chimney repairs and maintenance, it’s always best to leave it to the professionals.

Why? Well, because a solid and reliable chimney crown takes know-how, proper materials, and experience – all of which we have here at Lords Chimney. Plus, you’ll end up saving yourself countless hours and tons of money in the long run because we’ll make sure the job is done right from the get-go. Attempting a DIY repair will only set you back and who wants to spend even more money when they were just trying to save in the first place? Answer: No one.

It’s a much better idea to have a Lords Chimney professional build a crown that will last for the life of your chimney. We have a decade of experience building and repairing chimney crowns. We build them thick and strong, and arch and bevel them so that they shed water away from your chimney.

Live in Houston? Give Us a Call

Do you live in the greater Houston or Beaumont area and need to schedule a crown repair for your chimney? Perhaps you’re in search of a company to perform your annual maintenance services, like an inspection and chimney sweep? Or maybe you’d like to discuss your options for a system upgrade.

No matter the issue, consider it solved as soon as you call in the experts at Lords Chimney. Schedule today by requesting an appointment online, or by giving us a call at 281-497-4000. We can’t wait to work with you.

 

Having a chimney cap on your chimney can go a long way toward chimney leak resolution, so ask us for more information.