crownseal – Ask the Chimney Sweep

Proper maintenance of your chimney's crown will save you costly repair down the road. By getting up on the roof yourself to look at the crown or having your chimney professional doing so when you have your chimney swept and inspected you will not only save chimney repair but prevent damage further down the chimney as well. A crown that is intact and contains no cracks will protect the brick below it. ChimneySaver is a tried and true line that is specifically formulated to protect chimneys. Since chimneys are located above the roofline they receive no protection from the elements. They get the full force of any rain or snow and more prone to freezing and thawing damage because they are located higher up than the rest of the home. Application of CrownCoat is the image on the left and the application of CrownSeal is the image on the right. For minor crown repair, you want to use a crown resurfacing product. The ChimneySaver line features two kinds of crown resurfacing products, CrownCoat and CrownSeal. CrownCoat is the newer product of the two and requires a thinner application than CrownSeal. For application of CrownCoat, you need to only do two thin layers over the entire chimney crown which will dry in four hours. Use a paint brush when applying the product to the crown, and do not apply CrownCoat to vertical surfaces, only horizontal. CrownCoat has a 15 year warranty when applied by a professional. CrownCoat is also available in an advanced formula which can be applied in cold weather. Cold This CrownCoat special formula will cure in temperatures below freezing. Weather Crown Coat is similar to the original product but is capable of curing in temperatures below freezeing due to new technology. When the temperature is below freezing the product actually cures more quickly than it would in temperatures that are cold but not freezing. CrownSeal is the older of the two products and requires one thick application. We recommend this for situations where there are imperfections that need to be hidden. The thicker application will help. This product should be applied with a grooved trowel and brush and due to its thicker application takes 24 hours to dry completely. CrownSeal has a 10 year warranty when applied by a professional, which is not as long as CrownCoat. CrownCoat and CrownSeal are both tintable with mortar dye, are available in 2 and 5 gallon containers and should be applied in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit (with the exception of Cold Weather Crown Coat.) Decide which product is most conducive to your condition, factoring in the frequency of rain that your area experiences and the level of damage that your chimney crown has incurred. Also, consult with a chimney professional if you have any questions regarding the care of your crown or other parts of your masonry chimney.