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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Burien, WA
New overhanging concrete crowns for Burien's post-war brick chimneys, built to shed rain off the Sound. Starting at $299.
- Serving Burien & King County
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
Free Chimney Crown Rebuild Quote in Burien
We'll confirm a time by phone or text.
The crown is the concrete slab that closes the top of a brick chimney, and on the 1940s-60s chimneys that dominate Gregory Heights, Shorewood, Boulevard Park and the streets around Olde Burien it was typically a thin wash of mortar troweled flush with the brick. That style has no overhang, so water runs straight down the face, and it is thin enough that the first hard freezes crack it. Seventy winters later the crown on many Burien chimneys is a map of cracks with weeds growing out of it, and the top two or three courses of brick below it are loose because water has been getting into the joints for decades.
We remove the old crown, repair or reset the top courses if they have shifted, and pour a new reinforced crown that is thicker at the center, slopes to the edges, overhangs the brick with a drip kerf, and has an expansion gap around the flue tile. A crown rebuild starts at $299, the quote is free, and we price match plus 10-25% off any written bid. Burien is about 20 minutes from our North Renton office. Crowns are poured in dry weather, so we schedule them for a clear window.
Symptoms
Signs Burien homeowners notice
- Pieces of concrete or mortar missing from the top edge of the chimney
- Cracks wide enough to see daylight or fit a coin into
- The crown is flat or dished in the middle so water pools on it
- No overhang: the slab ends flush with the brick faces
- The top two or three courses of brick are spalling or loose
- A previous crown sealant is peeling off and the cracks underneath have reopened
Burien Conditions
Why this happens in Burien
The Sea-Tac weather station on Burien's eastern edge records a 1991-2020 normal of 40.34 inches of rain a year, and a flat crown sees every inch of it. Between October and March, when about 73 percent of that rain falls, the crown rarely dries, and the water that sits in its cracks freezes on roughly 60 nights a year while daytime highs thaw it again. The Brick Industry Association's technical notes describe exactly that cycle, water expanding in saturated masonry pores, as the cause of cracking and spalling, and a thin mortar wash has far less resistance to it than brick does. That is why a crown fails long before the chimney below it.
Burien adds wind. The west-facing chimneys from Seahurst to Three Tree Point get rain driven against the crown edge, and once the windward corner breaks away, water has a direct path into the top course. A crown rebuilt with a real overhang changes where that water lands, and the difference shows up as dry brick by the following spring.
How It Works
Our chimney crown rebuild process
Remove the failed crown
We break out the old slab or mortar wash down to solid brick, protecting the flue opening so debris does not fall into the chimney.
Repair the top courses
Any loose or spalled brick in the top courses is reset or replaced so the new crown sits on sound masonry.
Form with overhang and slope
We build a form that projects past the brick faces on all sides and slopes the surface away from the flue so water runs off instead of sitting.
Pour and finish
The crown is poured in a single placement with a bond break around the flue tile so heat expansion does not crack it, and a drip edge is formed on the underside of the overhang.
Cure and seal
Once cured, we apply a breathable water repellent and, where useful, a flexible sealant at the flue joint. A new cap goes on if the old one is damaged.
Full details, options and pricing factors on the main Chimney Crown Rebuild page.
Need chimney crown rebuild in Burien?
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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Burien — FAQ
How do I know if my Burien chimney needs a crown rebuild or just a patch?
If the cracks are hairline and the crown still overhangs the brick, a flexible crown coat can buy years. If the crown was poured flush with the brick, is broken into pieces, or the top courses move when pushed, a rebuild is the fix. We photograph the top during the free quote and show you which case you have. Rebuilds start at $299.
When is the best time of year to rebuild a crown in Burien?
May through September. The Sea-Tac normals drop to about 3 inches for June, July and August combined, and a crown needs dry brick underneath and a few dry days to cure. We book Burien crown work in those months and can often pair it with a cap, tuckpointing or a water-repellent treatment on the same trip from Renton.
How soon can you do chimney crown rebuild in Burien?
We confirm a time by phone or text after you request a quote; same-day service is often available for urgent problems in Burien and the rest of King County.
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