Chimney Repair: How to repair concrete crowns

Failing chimney crowns is one of the common causes of chimney leaks.  Without professional chimney repairs, leaking chimney crowns can cause the masonry to crumble and fail.  In most cases, leaks from chimney crowns require the chimney crown to be rebuilt.  In this article, we will review what takes place when a crown is being replaced.

How All Pro Chimney Replaces Concrete Crowns

1.       Remove the original crown, clean and prepare the surface the new concrete.  This is done to allow the brick and new crown to adhere correctly.
2.       Apply a bonding agent with a brush to the entire surface area.
3.       Waterproof the new crown by mixing PWR waterproofing into the concrete mix along with a bonding agent.  This step ensures that the crown sticks to the bricks properly.
4.       Reinforce the crown by applying a concrete base and setting a wire mesh.
5.       Use additional concrete as a finishing touch as needed and pitch of the brick edges.

Before Cement Crown Chimney Repair

The original crown was cracked and caused leaking into the fireplace. Another company came out to seal it, which was the appropriate fix for the problem, but the product they used did not hold up. The sealant cracked and peeled, and as a result, the leak came back, and the original crown got worse and needed to be rebuilt.

During Concrete Crown Chimney Repair

We removed the existing crown and cleaned off the surface thoroughly.  Then we apply the base layer of concrete after brushing on the bonding agent to the surface area, and then we set wire mesh on top to reinforce the crown.

After Concrete Crown Chimney Repair

Here is the new concrete crown. We also reset one brick on the corner and tuck pointed the 3rd course below the crown with a pitch to allow water to run off instead of sitting on the blocks. The roof was cleaned and washed afterward.

If you are in need of chimney repairs, please consider our company. 

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