The Crown Takes the Worst of the Weather
Nothing on your house sits in the weather like the chimney crown. It bakes in the summer sun, takes hail in the spring, and holds standing water in every storm. It is also the part you never see, because it is on top of the chimney.
Many crowns on Dallas chimneys were made from leftover brick mortar, spread thin and flat. Mortar is not made to shed water. It cracks within a few years, and then every rain sends water into the brick below.
Dallas Chimney Care repairs chimney crowns in Dallas, TX. We climb up, take photos, and show you what your crown looks like before we recommend anything.
Signs of a Damaged Chimney Crown
- Cracks across the top of the chimney
- Pieces of concrete or mortar on the roof
- White, chalky stains on the upper bricks
- Flaking brick faces near the top
- Water or rust in the firebox after rain
- Plants or moss growing on top of the chimney
Three Ways We Repair a Chimney Crown
Crown sealing
For hairline cracks, we brush on a flexible, waterproof crown coating. It bridges the cracks and moves with the crown as it heats and cools.
Crown resurfacing
When the cracks are wider but the crown is still solid, we clean it, fill the cracks, and build a new surface over the old one.
Crown rebuild
A crown that is crumbling or was built flat gets removed. We form and pour a new crown with a slope and an overhang, so water drips clear of the brick. A new crown is the right time to add a chimney cap.
Keep Water Out for Good
A sound crown is the first step. To protect the brick below it, many homeowners add chimney waterproofing, a breathable sealant that stops rain from soaking in. If the mortar joints under the crown are already washed out, we repair them with tuckpointing.
The National Weather Service office for Dallas-Fort Worth tracks the hail and heavy rain that make this such a common repair here.
How a Cracked Crown Turns Into a Chimney Leak
Water that gets through the crown does not stay at the top. It runs down inside the chimney structure, between the brick and the chimney flue. On the way it washes out mortar, rusts the damper and stains the ceiling next to the fireplace. Many calls for chimney leak repair in Dallas, TX start with a crown that failed years earlier.
The same water also attacks the flashing, the metal seal where the chimney meets the roof. So when we inspect a crown, we check the flashing too, and tell you if it needs flashing repair. On a prefab chimney there is no concrete crown. A metal chase cover does the same job on top of the chimney chase, and it rusts in the same way.
Signs Your Chimney Needs Crown Repair Soon
A homeowner cannot see the crown from the yard, but the chimney gives hints:
- A brick face near the top has popped off or flaked
- White streaks run down from the top rows of brick
- The fireplace smells damp after rain
- The last annual chimney inspection was more than a year ago
North Texas weather makes this worse. One hard freeze after a wet week can turn a hairline crack into a gap.
Crown Repair Is Part of Chimney Maintenance
A professional chimney inspection once a year, together with your chimney cleaning, is the easiest way to protect your chimney. We look at the crown every time we are on the roof. If it only needs to be sealed, that is a small job, and it saves the brick below it.
We offer this service in Dallas and across the DFW area. Ask us to inspect the crown the next time we sweep the flue.
Why Dallas Chimney Care
Dallas Chimney Care is an owner-led local company. Our owner spent 20 years as a chimney technician and is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Crown repairs carry our 5-year workmanship warranty, and seniors, veterans and first responders get 10% off.
See everything we fix on our chimney repair page, or view the full list of chimney services.