Are you interested to know the importance of your chimney crown? Then, this is the right place to walk through every single detail about it.
Introduction
Do you own a chimney, but you are unaware how important a chimney crown is? If so, then this article is a comprehensive guide for you to explore all the details. The primary role of the chimney crown is water protection and preventing water damage due to extreme weather fluctuations like pounding rains. The concrete body of the chimney crown stands as a first-line defensive force to combat water damage, which results in increased efficiency and maximized longevity of the chimney. However, the chimney crown needs to be repaired/rebuilt when it gets damaged over time due to direct exposure to harsh weather. This guide will help you to understand what a chimney crown is, why it is important, and when to repair it. Let’s jump in.
What is a Chimney Crown?
The chimney crown is the uppermost part of the chimney, contributing to the prevention of water entry and avoiding water damage. Commonly, it’s made of concrete because other building materials, like mortar, absorb water into its pores and lead to quick deterioration and crumbling. The chimney crown is exposed to extreme weather changes and other harsh elements, so its regular maintenance is necessary to prevent its earlier damage.
The chimney crown is extremely essential due to its ability to direct water out and away from the sides of a fireplace. Without a well-constructed and healthy chimney crown, the chimney deteriorates and breaks down due to masonry’s absorbent nature, as it allows water to soak in. As a result, brickwork and mortar decay significantly when exposed to direct moisture.
Why Chimney Crown is Considered Important?
The main role of the chimney crown is to safeguard the chimney from climatic and weather fluctuations. Pounding rain or extreme weather conditions could cause damage to the fireplace, but having a chimney crown saves it from water damage. A chimney crown bestows maximum protection as a shield covering the top of the chimney’s opening from the corner.
It further helps you in diverting water and moisture away from your fireplace. It also saves your brick chimney from any type of weather or water damage. Having a chimney crown is always an optimal security against major harm. It also helps to minimize the risk of fire and bestows increased longevity to your fireplace.
Chimney Crown Repair
Chimney crown repair is a good option when there are obvious hairline cracks appear on the crown’s surface. Consider hiring a skilled mason to repair the crown because he carefully fills the cracks or holes with a patch of cement material. After that, the whole chimney crown is sealed with a waterproof sealant to safeguard the crown’s surface. Some signs show when your chimney crown requires repair. These include:
⦁ Cracked or missing pieces of the chimney crown
⦁ Weekend or deteriorated mortar joint
⦁ Water spots throughout the base of your fireplace
⦁ Deposit of debris on top of the crown
⦁ The presence of these signs indicates that contacting a professional team to inspect the chimney crown is necessary.
A well-built chimney crown is constructed of durable materials and is equipped with defensive components to combat moisture like fumes/smoke and water. But sometimes, these materials fail to perform efficiently. In this scenario, chimney crown repair via a certified team of experts is required immediately. The chimney crown is the most vulnerable area that loses the battle against water over time. This concrete body rests at the top of the chimney stack and closes off the fireplace structure. During repair, if the chimney crown is designed properly, it works effectively for years and years to protect the entire chimney system from water damage.
Chimney Crown Rebuilding
When there is a worse crown condition, such as large chunks missing or if the walls between the chimney flue get exposed, then rebuilding the chimney crown is the safest and most reliable choice. Additionally, cracks can cause water to leak straight down to the foundation and cause water damage. In chimney crown rebuilding, several designs meet the criteria of a quality chimney crown, including:
⦁ Construct with Concrete: Rebuild with concrete; otherwise, mortar or other building materials deteriorate quickly when exposed to moisture.
⦁ Angled to support water runoff: If the chimney crown is made flat instead of angled, then it doesn’t work effectively, and water can pool and wear away at the crown.
⦁ Extension beyond the edge: A well-designed chimney crown should extend beyond the fireplace to restrict dumping water and flashing.
⦁ Thickness over 2 inches: The thin crown is unable to protect; water wears away at the crown and makes its way in rather quickly.
Rebuilding the crown doesn’t involve an entire tear-down of the previous chimney followed by its complete replacement like brick by brick, but it’s not always the case. Depending on the condition of the chimney crown, rebuilding is performed in different ways. Once you hire a certified service to rebuild the chimney crown, the team suggests the kind and design of the crown according to the condition. Avoid trying rebuilding by yourself; otherwise, severe damage may occur, and replacement will be the only option left that’s so expensive.
Conclusion
At last, the chimney crown is the basic component of a fireplace that’s built with the most durable material. This building material makes it a water-protective covering at the top of the chimney. In extreme weather conditions, the chimney crown is the only part in contact with harsh elements, and it is vulnerable to water damage. Over time, if the chimney crown deteriorates, the chimney becomes accessible to the water entrance, and its structural integrity is lost. To restore the chimney crown’s function as before, go for chimney crown repair or rebuilding. If left untreated, replacement is the only option left that costs much. To treat chimney crown damage, always prefer a qualified, experienced, and insured team to get professional services.
