Redoing my home fireplace taught me to never overlook the chimney crown.

It's a small step that prevents big headaches.

4 comments

4 Comments

Thought the same thing until my inspector showed me hairline cracks in ours. Water got in over a winter and wrecked a chunk of the flue lining. Fixing that was way more than a simple crown repair would've been.

christopher_torres661mo ago

Hey, isn't water damage from cracks the main reason they even suggest caps? I read an article a while back that said it's not just about rain, but that freeze-thaw cycle in winter that makes tiny cracks way worse. It basically said skipping the cap is like gambling on your masonry not having any weak spots at all.

william_harris14d ago

Wait, the flue lining got wrecked? That's a whole different level of bad. @the_linda might call it a gamble, but that sounds like losing the whole pot.

the_linda1mo ago

Doubt it's that big a deal for most homes. Many skip it and are just fine.