Crown repairs
The crown is the layer of cement sitting on top of the last row of brick. Its purpose is to shed water away from the chimney. It’s normally 2 – 3 inches thick and starts high at the flue tile then slopes down to the edge of the bricks. Because the cement is porous it allows water to penetrate and will eventually crack when the freezing weather begins. Flex crown
before
after
Flex crown is applied when the cement crown is cracked but is still structurally intact. We would clean the surface area of the existing crown. Then the flex crown is laid over the existing crown and covers all the surface areas of the crown. Flex crown is basically rubberized cement; it’s made of latex acrylics, and does not allow water to penetrate.
Weathertite Industries offers a 15 year manufacturers warranty and All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year labor free warranty.
Pricing example, if the crown is 2 feet X 2 feet= 4 sq. ft. The cost of the job would be 4 sq. ft. X $29.00= $116.00 + $150.00= $266.00 for the total cost of the flex crown installed.
Cement crown
before
prep
after
The cement crown is applied when the original crown is no longer structurally sound. We would remove all the loose cement on top of the chimney and clean or prep the surface area, so the new crown will adhere properly to the bricks.
All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year warranty on the cement crown from cracking or weathering away and a 3 year labor free warranty.
Pricing example, if the crown is 2 feet X 2 feet= 4 sq. ft. The cost of the job would be 4 sq. ft. X $39.00= $156.00 + $150.00= $306.00 for the total cost of the cement crown installed.
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Chimneysaver waterproofing
damaged by water
chimneysaver
Chimneysaver is applied to the chimney as a preventative means to protect the chimney or to help prevent further damages. Because the chimney is located on the outside of the house, it is vulnerable to the elements. It’s very important that it be protected from water because it’s porous and will eventually allow water into the house. Just like the crown, the chimney will allow water to penetrate and eventually after enough freeze and thaw cycles the bricks will begin to spall (when the faces of the bricks pop out) or the mortar joints will deteriorate leading to hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs.
The Chimneysaver waterproofing is applied to the chimney with a low pressure sprayer. The waterproofing itself will soak into the brick and mortar about ¼’’ or deeper and is 100% permeable, which means it won’t trap water vapors that are trying to escape from the chimney while the chimney is in use. This is important because if the water vapors are trapped it can cause more water damage. All Pro Chimney Service strongly recommends waterproofing the chimney after any masonry repairs have been made to the exterior of the chimney.
Chimneysaver offers a 10 year manufacturers warranty and All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year labor free warranty.
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Tuck-pointing or repointing (pictures coming soon)
Tuck-pointing or repointing is required when the mortar joints are disintegrating or cracked. The typical cause for this problem is water damage or settling. Disintegrating mortar joints caused by water damage will usually involve more work because it covers a larger area. The cracked mortar joints caused by settling will usually be a few joints separating that are running diagonally and may involve replacing some cracked bricks as well (spot cutting).
The first thing to do when tuck-pointing is to remove all loose joints. This can be done by grinding out the joints with a grinder or chiseling them out with a hammer and chisel. The next step is to clean the surface thoroughly by brushing them out and rinsing with water. We would then apply the new mortar which has a bonding agent added to it to insure a proper bond to the existing brick and mortar. Once that step is completed we would allow the mortar to set before we strike it to give a nice finished look and then brush off any excess mortar for a clean finish. All Pro Chimney Service recommends waterproofing the newly repointed joints and surrounding areas 30 days after the completion of the job to allow the mortar to cure. Waterproofing the chimney will help prevent future repairs.
All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year warranty our repointing work from disintegrating and cracking and a 3 year labor free warranty.
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Rebuild
Spot cutting 
(spot cuts) (removed crown and loose bricks) (after)
Spot cutting is required when the chimney has a few bricks that are spalling or cracked in certain areas. The process of spot cutting is basically cutting out the damaged bricks and replacing them with new bricks. This is done by using a demo hammer and precisely cutting out each individual brick. At times we will use a diamond blade saw to cut out the mortar joints around the bricks prior to using the demo hammer, this is done to prevent breaking the surrounding bricks in the process, since the demo hammer uses vibration to cut out the bricks. All Pro Chimney Service recommends waterproofing the areas where the spot cutting was performed and the surrounding areas 30 days after the completion of the job to allow the new mortar to cure. Waterproofing the chimney will help prevent future repairs.
All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year warranty on our spot cuts, that covers the new brick and mortar installed from disintegrating and cracking, and a 3 year labor free warranty.
*Note: The chimney seen in this picture is having a stainless steel liner installed for the fireplace because the terra cotta flue tiles are cracked. For more information on stainless steel lining systems please go to our Products page under chimney systems and liners.
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(before) (during) (after)
The rebuilding process is required when the chimney is severely damaged and the damages are beyond the normal repairs of repointing or spot cutting. The causes for rebuilds will normally be water damage, settling of the foundation, a lighting strike, or the use of the fireplace (for firebox rebuilds). Rebuilding the chimney does not necessarily mean taking down the whole chimney and rebuilding. In fact, most chimney rebuilds are done from the roof line up because that’s where the chimney is exposed to the elements the most.
The rebuilding process starts with gaining access to the area where the work is to be performed. Then we’ll take down the chimney to a solid or structurally sound area and prep the surface before we begin to lay the new brick and mortar. The chimney or firebox will be rebuilt to the original design unless the customer says otherwise. All Pro Chimney Service recommends waterproofing the rebuilt area and surrounding areas 30 days after the completion of the rebuild to allow the new mortar to cure (does not apply to firebox rebuilds). Waterproofing the chimney will help prevent future repairs.
All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year warranty on our rebuilds, that covers the new brick and mortar from disintegrating and cracking, and a 3 year labor free warranty.
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Brick and stone veneers
Using a brick or stone veneer is a great way to transform your fireplace, chimney, or interior and exterior walls of your home. They give the appearance of the natural brick or stone but won’t carry the same the cost. They can also be installed in areas where regular brick and stone can’t be because of size, weight, and support issues.
Cultured stone
Natural stone
Brick
All Pro Chimney Service offers a 3 year warranty on our installation of brick, cultured stone, or natural stone veneers from falling out or having cracked and disintegrating mortar joints and also offers a 3 year labor free warranty.
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ALL PRO CHIMNEY SERVICE
(443) 477-2540 - (240) 486-6731
P. O. Box1377
Lanham, MD 20703-1377
customerservice@allprochimney.com
