Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Chimney Crown

I have a few questions about my chimney crown. It is cracked and I want to replace it. When I started to chisel off the old crown I heard a lot of mortar falling down to my fire box. When I looked down my chimney I noticed that there were 2x4's with bricks stacked on top providing support for my crown. The problem is that the 2x4's are rotten and I fear the only thing holding up these bricks is the mortar left on top. So my questions are:

1. Is this the normal to make a crown? I do not feel comfortable putting back 2x4's with a couple of nails lying across the bricks. Is there another option?

2. Can I just take out the crown and buy a cap that covers the whole chimney? If this is possible what do I need to do to keep my flue in place? I have a metal flue that comes up through the middle of my crown and into a cap. If I just use a cap will blowing rain still get into my chimney?

Here goes:

2 x 4's == very bad construction. Period. Why doesn't the flue support the "crown"? Need more info here, I think............

Even if you put a metal cap on the flue, you still need to repair your "crown", actually called a wash.

Remove all the old crap, do a new wash, and put on a metal hood. Any good re-lining company can do this, and the one that put in the liner you have SHOULD have done this anyway.

Rich (yeah, that's my $.02)

Any good sheet metal shop can make up a full new metal cover for the whole chimney and a rain cap for the flue. We make them up all the time. Mark where the flue is and they will solder a collar in it for the flue to go in and hold it. Put new2X4in to hold up the new metal top.. If you look around most of the new firplaces going up are covered in wood now to cover the flue there and have a metal top on them

ED ;)

Removing the old wash and replacing is what I want to do. The problem is that once the old wash is removed I will have nothing in place to rebuild the wash. After I remove the wash I will have a metal flue in the middle of a brick chimney and nothing to support the wash. (Imagine a rectangular box with a pipe in the middle of the box and nothing to support the pipe or a lid). What can I put inside to support the wash and what should I use to attach this support to the bricks?

Well you can put steel Angles in there. but like I said we make a full sheetmetal top to go over the whole thing and for get the crown cap here.

ED :confused:

[QUOTE=Ed Imeduc]Well you can put steel Angles in there. but like I said we make a full sheetmetal top to go over the whole thing and for get the crown cap here.

That would certainly be easier but more expensive. I would want stainless steel and because my chimney is about 66" x 29" it will cost about $300 + shipping. I guess I could use galvanized sheet metal but I would probably have to replace it in a few years.

We get 10 to 15 years out of the galvanized tops . Have been doing it that way for a long long time. about a 2" turn down and a 1/4" kick out for a drip edge.

ED ;)

"If you look around most of the new firplaces going up are covered in wood now to cover the flue there and have a metal top on them"

On a masonry fireplace? Please say it ain't so........

Rich (not in VA) in VA