Chimney Crowns

The very top of your chimney is called the chimney crown. By applying an flexible, acrylic coating over the crown you can protect from water infiltration.  You generally cannot see the chimney crown from your yard but it is the most important part of a chimney designed for the protection of your chimney shell from water infiltration.

Since the top of the chimney is the most exposed area on any home, it has to take the full force and fury of mother nature and because of the constant exposure to the elements, the chimney crown usually cracks not long after construction or within the first year of service.

Improper maintenance of the chimney crown causes millions of dollars of damage to chimneys every year.  Remember just because your chimney crown is hard to see or hard to get to, doesn’t mean you should neglect its’ maintenance.  This will ultimately cost you thousands in unnecessary repair bills.

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Can chimney crowns cause problem? Yes…

A cracked chimney crown allows water to enter into the chimney shell. Over time the crack widens allowing an increasing volume of water to enter into the chimney shell. At some point the rain water entering the chimney shell becomes greater than what can evaporate through the face of the chimney shell and deterioration begins to appear.

With brick chimneys you will first see a darkening of the upper portion of the chimney and you may see some spalling as well. (chips and flaking of the bricks) With a stone chimney there can be moss growth but usually a dark mold appears around the top portion of the chimney as well. This is whenmost homeowners begin to notice that they have a problem with their chimney.

If the damage isn’t severe, a repair to the top of the chimney can be made by the application of Crown Seal to the crown and then applying masonry sealer to the chimney shell.

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Crown Seal is a rubber like coating that fills in the cracks in the crown and drains water away from the top of the chimney.
It protects chimney crowns because it is flexible and expands and contracts with the movement of the chimney materials. It also acts like a umbrella by shedding rain water from the top of the chimney.
Crown Seal helps to eliminate the most severe form of the water penetration which is through the chimney crown. Secondary water entry, through the sides of the chimney, can be protected by a flooding application of Chimney Seal to the remaining exposed masonry surfaces.
003.pngChimney Seal helps to deflect the wind driven rains…

Chimney Seal application is the second line of defense. This product absorbs into the pores of the masonry and deposits slippery, angular particles. These particles repel the round water molecules that try to penetrate keeping your chimney safe and dry. These products are available from Handy Home Pro.

Crown Seal and Chimney Seal are the best products to protect your chimney from the ravages of mother nature. Contact Handy Home Pro to have your crown coated and your chimney sealed today!