Cracked crown on red brick chimney

[The Kearsley Curse]

x-no-archive: yes

I've got a cracked crown on a red brick chimney. Also, the mortar between the brick is coming loose.

The cracks on the crown run right down to the red brick. Is it necessary to chip off the old crown and replace it entirely? Or is there a product to seal the cracked areas on the crown?

Thanks in advance.

[The Kearsley Curse]

Thanks. I'll look into it and see if there is an easy way around this, other than to chip away the old crown. Keeping it simple would be the way to go, at least for now.

[Duane Bozarth]

I'd go w/ simply caulking and perhaps repointing a little if it's sufficiently large cracking that it appears to need it...as Terry says, unless it's really deteriorated extensively that will probably last indefinitely if just monitor it on occasion.

If, otoh, it has moved significantly by next year after this year's patching, then you have indications of other problems to be resolved...

[Terry]

FWIW: The approx 16 inch by 24 inch concrete cap (it's about four inches thick) that I poured myself some 25 years ago after a mason built our two flue chimney, developed a small crack years ago. Worried about water and ice cracking it further I caulked it using something from a tube of fairly ordinary outside caulk. Checking it occasionally it appears to have worked for the last ten to fifteen years without further attention. Other opinions may vary.

[G Henslee]

You make a total mess out of a thread when you top post and don't snip/edit quoted text as needed. Thank you.

[C & M]

Ditto> They make 100% silicon 'concrete' caulk which, I suspect, is just a colorant added. Mine is holding up quite well with exstensive use (read: many, deep cracks) for the past 3 years.