Chimney crown vs. chimney cap: what Friendswood homeowners keep mixing up
Two different parts, two different failures, two very different repair bills.
The crown is the sloped masonry slab covering the top of the chimney structure. The cap is the metal hood over the flue opening.
The crown keeps water out of the chimney's brick and cavity. It should be poured concrete with reinforcement, an overhang, and an expansion joint around the flue tile.
The cap keeps rain, birds and debris out of the flue itself, and a good one includes a spark arrestor screen.
In Friendswood we see far more crown failures than cap failures, because so many crowns were built as a thin mortar wash that cracks within ten years.
A cap is an afternoon. A crown rebuild is a day or two. A chimney that spalled because both were ignored is a rebuild.
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