Chimney inspections and repairs for Falcon Trace homes

A hairline crack in the concrete top of a masonry chimney is easy to overlook from the ground and easy to put off. On a masonry chimney in Falcon Trace, an Orange County community, that crack is the start of a repair decision between sealing the crown and replacing it. The Florida Building Code calls for a concrete, metal or stone cap on a masonry chimney, with a drip edge, a caulked bond break around the flue liner and a slope that sheds water.

The Brick Industry Association notes that concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking in a cap cast on the chimney is expected, and it warns against tops feathered down to a thin edge, which deteriorate faster. A top built as a thin mortar wash is a different case from a properly shaped crown with a few fine cracks.

Fine cracks in an otherwise sound crown can often be sealed. Wide cracks, pieces breaking loose at the edges, a crown with no overhang or drip, or a flue liner mortared solid into the top with no bond break usually point to replacement. The new crown is either cast in place with the right shape and reinforcement or set as a precast cap, which the BIA says generally performs better.

Water that gets past a crown shows up lower down. Damp patches on the chimney face, white deposits on the brick, rust on the damper and a wet firebox after rain all send the search back to the top. Our technicians examine the crown from the roof, check the liner joint and the edges and explain which repair fits, with each option written out.

A family-owned company, we inspect Falcon Trace chimneys free, price the work upfront, take 10% off what you book within 72 hours and back the repair with our workmanship warranty.