Top course repair
The brick under the crown is repointed or replaced where needed before the crown goes on.
Masonry Repair
Chimney Crown Repair Stroudsburg, PA
A chimney sweep in Stroudsburg can seal hairline cracks in a chimney crown or rebuild a crown that is breaking apart, with a design that sheds water past the masonry. Dial (272) 271-1491 to talk with a local chimney sweep about the crown.
A chimney crown covers the top of the brick and slopes away from the flue so water runs off instead of soaking in. Because it faces every storm, freeze and heat wave head on, the crown is usually the first part of the chimney to fail. Water that gets through a cracked crown soaks the top courses of brick and expands as it freezes.
It helps to separate the crown from the cap. The crown is the masonry slab, while the cap is the metal cover with a mesh screen that sits over the flue opening. A new cap will not stop water from soaking in through a cracked crown.
Crowns often fail sooner than they should for a few common reasons. Builders and roofers often form the crown from mortar mix spread thin and flush with the brick, with no overhang and no gap around the flue tile. That combination tends to crack within a few winters.
Depending on what the sweep finds, chimney crown repair in Stroudsburg, PA can go hand in hand with chimney cap installation and chimney leak repair.
Need chimney crown repair in Stroudsburg? Call (272) 271-1491 to reach a nearby chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
The crown repair process
The right fix depends on whether the crown is basically sound with surface cracks or failing all the way through.
Check the top
From the roof, the crown is examined for cracks, crumbling, poor slope and missing overhang. The cap and the upper masonry are part of the same check.
Clean the surface
Any crumbling material is chipped away and the surface is prepared. Repairs only hold on a clean, sound, dry surface.
Seal minor cracks
Small cracks are sealed with a flexible coating made for chimney crowns, which bridges cracks and resists water. It works well on a structurally sound crown with surface cracks.
Replace the crown
Crowns that are breaking apart are replaced rather than patched. The new crown is sloped, overhangs the brick with a drip edge and is thick enough to resist cracking.
Expansion joint
A bond break is left between the crown and the flue tile so the tile can expand without cracking the crown. Without it, the hot flue tile will crack a new crown just like the old one.
Protect the work
A cap goes back on once the new crown is ready. Damaged upper brick and joints are often handled in the same visit.
What is included
Types of crown repair
Crown sealer
Hairline cracks are sealed with a flexible crown coating to extend the life of the crown.
Bond breaks
A bond break is added so the flue tile can expand freely so heat does not crack the crown.
Crown replacement
Crumbling or badly cracked crowns are removed and recast with a slope, overhang and drip edge.
Overhangs
New crowns are built to overhang the brick with a groove underneath which keeps runoff from soaking the masonry.
Related service
Chimney Crown Replacement Stroudsburg, PA
A crown that is breaking apart or was built from thin mortar usually needs to be replaced rather than coated. The old crown is broken out down to the brick, and the top courses are checked and repaired if needed. A form is built around the top of the chimney, a bond break goes around the flue tile, and the new crown is cast with a slope, an overhang and a drip edge.
For Stroudsburg homeowners, timing matters with crown replacement. Fresh concrete should not freeze while it cures, which makes mild weather the best time for the job. A winter crown failure can often be sealed temporarily to buy time until warmer weather. It is worth asking how the new crown will handle water runoff and flue tile expansion.
Local help
Chimney Crown Repair Near Me
In Stroudsburg, a crown that looked fine in the fall can be cracked by spring. Across Stroudsburg and nearby places including Arlington Heights, East Stroudsburg, Penn Estates and Bangor, the crowns that crack first are the ones with no overhang and no room for the flue tile to move, so sealing cracks early or replacing a poorly built crown protects the rest of the chimney.
For chimney crown repair in Stroudsburg, PA or nearby towns like Arlington Heights, East Stroudsburg, Penn Estates and Bangor, call (272) 271-1491 to reach a chimney sweep who covers your street.
How the weather here affects chimneys around Stroudsburg
Cold winters keep fireplaces, wood stoves and oil burners working for half the year or more. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Wind driven rain from coastal storms finds any gap in flashing, too. That is why chimney cleaning in Stroudsburg is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
A chimney problem fixed early rarely spreads to the masonry, the liner or the house.
Familiar with local homes
Local sweeps see the same chimney types and weather wear across Stroudsburg and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about chimney crown repair
How long does a chimney crown last?
A well-built crown can last a very long time, while a thin mortar crown may crack within a few years. The weak ones are thin, flush with the brick and cast tight to the flue. Yearly inspections, as NFPA 211 recommends, are the best way to keep an eye on it.
Is a chimney crown the same as a chimney cap?
The crown is the concrete or mortar slab that covers the top of the masonry around the flue, and the cap is the metal cover that sits over the flue opening. The crown keeps water out of the brick, and the cap keeps rain, animals and debris out of the flue. Adding a cap will not fix crown damage.
Do I need a new crown if mine is cracked?
That depends on how deep and widespread the cracks are. If the crown is sound with only small cracks, a crown coating is often all it needs. A crown that is breaking apart or was built too thin usually needs to be replaced.
Is a cracked chimney crown a big deal?
Crown cracks start small but cause damage well beyond the crown. The water it lets in damages the brick, the flue and the framing around the chimney. Caught early, a crown seal is simple, but left alone, the damage can spread down the chimney.
Why did my chimney crown crack?
Crowns crack from water freezing in small cracks, from being built thin out of mortar, and from the flue tile expanding against them. Thin mortar crowns with no room for flue tile movement tend to crack early. Once a crack forms, water gets in, freezes and widens it every winter.
More questions? Call (272) 271-1491
Related services
Chimney Cap Installation
Fitting a metal cap over the top of the flue sized to the flue tile or the whole crown.
Learn moreChimney Leak Repair
Finding and stopping water that gets in through the crown, cap, flashing or brick, whether the drip shows up in the attic, the ceiling or the firebox.
Learn moreChimney Masonry Repair
Brick and mortar repair for weathered or damaged chimneys, before freeze-thaw damage spreads.
Learn moreChimney Waterproofing
Protecting chimney masonry from rain with a penetrating repellent, to slow freeze-thaw damage and spalling.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesGet chimney crown repair help in Stroudsburg
Call (272) 271-1491 for a local chimney sweep in Stroudsburg and nearby towns.
(272) 271-1491
Free to call. No forms to fill out.