Crown cracks letting water into the flue
Why it happens here
Crowns are concrete or mortar caps, and they crack as they age and as water freezes in small fissures. Bradley Gardens sees repeated freeze-thaw cycles from late fall through early spring, which widens those cracks season after season. Once the crown fails, water runs straight down the flue.
Our approach
We rebuild the crown with chimney crown mix at the correct slope and seal the bond break at the top of the brick. That gives water a path off the chimney instead of into it. We also check the top courses of brick while we are up there, since they take the same weather.