Chimney Crowns – Chimney Caps – Houston Area

Protecting the inner workings of your chimney extends its life and mitigates the risk of countless common chimney problems. When a chimney has a missing chimney cap or deteriorating chimney crown covering the top of the chimney, this provides a direct entrance for animals and all types of weather conditions. When you allow this opening to remain uncovered, the interior of the chimney must withstand harsh treatment from the outdoors, which evidently results in costly repairs for the homeowner.

Chimney Crown Repair & Rebuilding

Under the chimney cap lays the chimney crown, covering the entire top of the chimney opening except for the chimney flues that allow the combustion byproducts to escape. The chimney crown is made from cement and seals the top of the chimney off to protect the chimney interior. A chimney crown in poor condition will allow moisture into the chimney system. Water deteriorates the elements of the chimney. The sides of the chimney can be protected by a waterproofing process, but a chimney cap and crown in good condition must protect the interior of the system from the top.

In some cases, if your chimney cap starts to show its age, our chimney professionals may recommend a treatment for the crown that seals the minor cracks and prevents moisture from seeping in. This treatment can only be used when minor cracks are present and is only a temporary solution to extend the life of your chimney crown.

For chimney crowns with larger cracks or missing pieces, a rebuild may be necessary (see top photo). In some homes, a metal chimney chase top may take the place of a cement crown to route rainwater away from the chimney. These metal covers rust and leak water over the years, so depending on the condition, they may need to be removed and replaced with a cement chimney top.

Our professional chimney technicians will examine your system and work with you to determine the best option for your home.

Chimney Caps

The chimney cap is a relatively inexpensive chimney part that will end up saving you money on unnecessary repairs. While your chimney may seem solid and sturdy from the outside, inside of the chimney walls are parts easily damaged by moisture. A simple steel chimney cap will keep out snow, ice, rain, debris, leaves and animals from entering the chimney. These caps are specifically designed to keep nature out while also allowing the combustion byproducts to exit the chimney safely.

This cap was blown off in a bad windstorm and the homeowner called us to replace it. You can see from the looks of this cap that the soot and creosote build up was rather heavy. Turns out that the cap blowing off may have saved this home from a chimney fire. Because when we inspected the stove pipe it was full of flammable residue that could have caught fire and caused extensive damage to the chimney and the home itself. You can see the results of this wood stove cleaning at the bottom of our page on Chimney Fire Safety.

Even when your cap is in working condition, it may get clogged with sticks or leaves throughout the long winter. During the annual chimney inspection our chimney professionals will check and clean your cap to make sure it is in working condition at all times. Our sweeps will also remove the existing cap and make sure everything beneath it is working well.