Repouring or repairing a chimney crown
Understanding the Importance of a Chimney Crown
A chimney crown is the concrete top of a chimney, essential for protecting your home from water damage. A damaged or missing crown can lead to water infiltration, which can cause significant damage to your chimney, roof, and interior walls. The problems with most crowns is they were poured with masonry meant for tuck pointing and noy cement that is meant for crowns.
When to Repair or Repour a Chimney Crown
- Visible Cracks: These can allow water to seep into the chimney.
- Missing Mortar: Exposed brick or concrete can deteriorate quickly.
- Spalling: This is when chunks of material break off the crown.
- Excessive Wear and Tear: If the crown is old and worn, it may need to be replaced.
DIY Repair vs. Professional Help
While minor repairs can be done by a skilled DIYer, major repairs or a complete repour are best left to professionals. Factors like the extent of damage, local building codes, and safety considerations should be taken into account.
Scope of Work for repair
- Clean the Crown: Remove loose debris and moss with a wire brush.
- Patch Small Cracks: Use a high-quality masonry repair mortar.
- Seal the Crown with Crown Coat: CrownCoat® Brushable Sealant is a fast setting elastomeric coating that forms a flexible waterproof membrane. CrownCoat is specifically formulated to repair and protect chimney crowns with cracks less than ½ inch from water intrusion.
Professional Crown Repouring
If the damage is significant, a complete re-pour is necessary. This involves:
- Removing the Old Crown: This can be a labor-intensive process, often requiring specialized tools and equipment.
- Preparing the Surface: The chimney top must be clean and free of debris. A form must be formed
- Pouring New Concrete: A high-quality, weather-resistant concrete mix is used to create a new crown. Include a drip edge on the crown to force water away from the chimney and down to the shingles. Always include an expansion joint around the top tile.
- Finishing and Curing: The new crown is shaped and allowed to cure properly.
Additional Tips:
- Regular Inspections: Inspect your chimney crown annually for signs of damage.
- Professional Cleaning: Schedule regular chimney cleaning to remove creosote buildup.
- Consider a Chimney Cap: A chimney cap can further protect your chimney from water damage and debris. A multiflued cap that protects the entire crown will add ultimate protection to your crown and chimney.
By taking the necessary steps to repair or repour your chimney crown, you can protect your home and ensure the longevity of your chimney. If you’re unsure about any aspect of the process, call Best Cincinnati Chimney for a consultation.
- Published in Chimney, Chimney Cleaning, Chimney Repair, Cincinnati Chimney, Cincinnati Chimney Sweep, Clean you chimney, Light Masonry, Water Leaks
Chimney Swifts
Best Cincinnati Chimney sees a lot of problems every year but one reoccurring problem is the presence of Chimney Swifts nesting in the chimneys.
Chimney Swifts are brown and gray birds known for their cigar-shaped bodies and wide, flat beaks. While their natural habitat is in trees, the destruction of forests has resulted in them having an affinity for chimneys as they are warm and protected from predators. These birds do not roost like most birds but they like to hang and they build their nests against ledges so a chimney is perfect for them. One definite sign that you have chimney swifts is the cry of their young hatchlings. They let off a high pitched screaming that sounds like a little girl screaming.
Why not just let them be?
Regardless of how much you love birds, you should ask a chimney professional to keep swifts out of your chimney. Besides the irritating sounds that they make, they also pose some dangers. One of the dangers is that of diseases. Due to their tendencies to travel long distances and even across continents they are exposed to many microorganisms that can cause diseases to you and your family.
Another reason why you should keep them out of your chimney is because they put your home at the risk of catching fire. When they construct nests, the nests block the chimney flue thus harmful gasses, and smoke doesn’t escape into the environment. This results to creosote getting deposited on the chimney walls. As you know, the more the creosote deposits, the higher the chances of your chimney catching fire. Also the nests themselves are flammable.
What do we do to get them out?
Many birds, including swifts, are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act states that it’s a federal offense to remove or damage the swift nests before the hatchlings have left. Once they are there, you have them for a life cycle. The good thing is that the birds have short life cycles where the time from nesting to the time that the hatchlings leave the nest is less than 6 weeks. After the six weeks, you should contact a chimney company to remove the nests and clean the entire chimney. We usually just wait them out and then seal them out.
Keeping them out
Swifts spend their winters in South American then migrate to North America in spring and summer. If you don’t take measures to prevent the birds from getting into your chimney they will come back during summer. One of the ways of ensuring that they don’t find their way into your chimney again installing a chimney cap. All you need to do is hire a chimney masonry repair professional to install it for you. Since the birds are very small, ensure that you hire a professional who will install a unit that the birds can’t fit through. The smaller the mesh around the cap, the better.
In addition to installing chimney caps, you should also inspect the entire chimney and fix any holes that the birds can get through and remove all debris that they brought into the chimney.
Call Best Cincinnati Chimney for a complete cleaning and inspection today at 513-474-1158.