Do I Need My Chimney Crown Sealed Or Repaired?

During routine chimney inspections, our Certified Chimney Sweeps® might find some repair issues that are not easily fixed by a standard chimney sweep or inspection. Chances are you will not be surprised by your chimney sweep’s findings because you know how old your home is or because your home inspector gave you some great insight when you bought the house.

However, this might not be the case. Some home inspections do not include a thorough chimney evaluation or the inspector does not know the ins and outs of chimney inspection. Or, you are unaware of your chimney’s age and deterioration because you are not as diligent in your chimney inspections and cleanings as you probably should be. It’s ok, we can fix it and get you on track and up to snuff in the chimney safety arena.

There could be a problem if you’ve noticed air or water coming in through your fireplace at different times of year. Another sign that there might be a problem is that you have some unpleasant odors coming from your chimney during air conditioning season.

Chimney crowns are an important part of the chimney, however they are also the most susceptible to the elements of the winter weather due to their location above the roofline. Next to flue tiles being installed incorrectly, chimney crowns are the second biggest defect we see. There are so many factors to go into how long a chimney crown will last. For example, the weather and climate where the house is located, the chimney maintenance record and the way in which the chimney was built are all very important determinations.

Much Will a Chimney Crown Repair Cost?

If we were to estimate the cost of a chimney crown repair, we might estimate between $500 and $2000 as a general range, however each project really needs to be assessed individually before a price is discussed. The best person to give you a fair estimate of the repairs is your chimney sweep. Your Certified Chimney Sweep® will be able to assess accessibility to the roof, pitch of the roof and the necessary scaffolding to get the job done and safely.

Chimney Crown Sealing

The least expensive option in repairing your chimney crown is sealing your chimney crown. This is not a good solution if the damage is more than surface area cracks. However, this might be a good temporary solution if you have discovered your problem during a time in the year that it is often below freezing and not possible to do a crown replacement.

Sealing your chimney crown with a special chimney sealant can slow or prevent further structural chimney damage. Although this could be a project for an ambitious DIYer, it might be best to leave it to a Certified Chimney Sweep to climb the roof, make the chimney damage assessment and then seal the chimney crown using the proper equipment and with a product they a successful track record of using.

Chimney Crown Repair and Replacement

If the chimney crown has missing pieces or lacks structural integrity, it might require some rebuilding. At this time, you should be sure to have an experienced chimney masonry person do the repairs to ensure that they will last through the Illinois winters for many years to come. It is important that the new replacement chimney crown overhangs the outside vertical dimensions of the chimney structure and has expansion joints.

Terry Dearborn of Valley Chimney Sweep is the longest continually Certified Chimney Sweep® in the United States. Derek Dearborn has been sweeping and repairing chimneys since his parents started Valley Chimney Sweep in 1978. With 22,000 customers, Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration is proud to be the trusted chimney sweep, chimney repair and chimney masonry provider to many homeowners in the the far western suburban Chicago area.

If you think your chimney is in need of repair, we can schedule a visit to your home to make a proper assessment and suggestions as to how to proceed. Either as part of a complete chimney rebuild or as a stand alone chimney replacement, we pour 150 to 225 chimney crowns annually.

See some of our Before & After photos here.

Give us a call, we want to be your Chimney Sweep® too!