Local Chimney and Fireplace Service in Palm River-Clair Mel

If rain is finding its way into your chimney, the crown is one of the places we check early. Our family-owned crew handles chimney and fireplace work in Palm River-Clair Mel, whose census boundary in Hillsborough County touches McKay Bay. We inspect for free, and crown work, like any other service, is 10% off when you approve it inside 72 hours of that visit.

A crown is the cement slab capping a masonry chimney, with the flue rising through it. A well-built one slopes down from the flue and projects past the brick, so rain drips off beyond the chimney walls instead of running down them. A crown poured flat or made from ordinary mortar cracks sooner as the slab heats and cools, and each crack lets water into the brick below, where it can loosen joints and eventually reach a ceiling or the firebox.

Near the bay, salt can add to the damage. Salts carried into masonry by water crystallize as the brick dries, and over time they can push the face of the brick off. White deposits or flaking brick below the crown of a Palm River-Clair Mel chimney tell us water is moving through the masonry, and we trace it back to where it gets in.

A crown with only hairline cracks and a solid body can usually be sealed with a flexible crown coating. One that is split through, working loose or built with no overhang is usually better rebuilt. We tell you which applies to your chimney and price the work before it begins. Waterproofing comes last. A water repellent brushed over open joints or a cracked crown can hold moisture inside the brick, so we repair the crown, the joints and the flashing first, then discuss a vapor-permeable repellent for the masonry.

When the entry point of a leak is still unclear, we can run a water test with a hose to confirm it, although it is usually not needed. Crown and masonry repairs leave debris behind, and we clean it up and haul it away. Any open flue is covered before we leave for the day.

The repair is documented in a written record, priced in advance, free of hidden fees and covered by our workmanship warranty. Caps, sweeping and fireplace service of every fuel type are part of our work here too.