Chimney Crowns

A chimney crown is a masonry roof that covers the top of your chimney. It prevents water from seeping into the masonry below. Water damaged or cracked chimney crowns can lead to costly chimney repairs. Chimneys are often capped improperly with mortar crowns instead of the recommended cast-in-place concrete crowns. If the mortar crown is loose, crumbling, or severely deteriorated, it should be replaced with a new cast-in-place concrete crown. If the crown is damaged but structurally sound, it can be effectively repaired.

A properly built masonry crown should be approximately 4″ thick and overhang all edges of the chimney by 2″. The reason for the overhang is to allow the water to fall away from the chimney rather than running down the sides.