Like utmost homeowners, you presumably notice your flue every day. Whether you ’re coming home from work, doing some gardening or enjoying the outside, the flue is hard to miss. But do you know what the upmost section of the flue is called? If you guessed the flue crown, you ’re right.
What’s the Chimney Crown?
The flue crown is theupper-most portion of the flue. Its purpose is to allow bank and cloud to articulation through the stovepipe to help humidity from getting outside. It’s erected using cement corroborated with a line mesh for stability and continuity. The lip of the crown is leaned to direct humidity down from the flue.
While concrete is extremely durable, it is n’t impenetrable. And without periodic flue examinations by a pukka professional flue reach, homeowners have no way of knowing that they may have a problem with the flue crown until they notice water inside the flue. The exposure to pounding rain, sleet, and snow can ultimately beget the crown to crack under the pressure of Mother Nature. When these cracks begin to surface on the crown, it exposes the innards of the flue to humidity. Without repairs, the crown will continue to deteriorate. As it continues to decline, the mound is at a advanced threat for spalling and cracked bricks and weakened mortar joints that can affect the structural integrity of the flue. Depending on the extent of the damage, your flue mason may recommend sealing or repairing the flue crown.
Sealing the Chimney Crown
If there are a many small cracks in the flue crown but it’s else complete also sealing the crown is a feasible form option. Sealing the cracks will help any further humidity from oohing between the walls and stovepipe inside the flue. The flue mason will use a especially formulated leakproof sealant that will lock-out humidity but will allow it to breathe to minimize deterioration further.
Repairing the Chimney Crown
Repaired Chimney CrownRather than sealing, repairing the flue crown is a better option when there are more significant, hairline cracks in the face. When repairing the crown, a professed mason precisely fills the cracks with a patch cement material. The entire flue crown is also sealed with a leakproof sealant to cover the face. In further extreme repairs where there’s major damage similar as large gobbets missing, or the walls between the stovepipe are exposed, rebuilding the crown is the most dependable and safe option.
Guarding the Chimney Crown
Installing a flue cap will help cover the flue and the crown. The cap is attached to the crown and acts like an marquee keeping the face underneath dry. A line mesh surrounds the cap allowing bank and pollutants to vent while precluding small creatures, pests, and debris from gumming the stovepipe. It also has a spark arrestor that protects the roof from hot embers that could else fly out of the articulation.
