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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Sumner, WA
Rebuilding the failed crowns on Sumner's century-old downtown chimneys. Starting at $299, free quote.
- Serving Sumner & Pierce County
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
Free Chimney Crown Rebuild Quote in Sumner
We'll confirm a time by phone or text.
The tall brick chimneys on Sumner's historic downtown homes around Main Street and the Sounder station were typically finished with a thin mortar wash troweled over the top course rather than a true concrete crown. After decades of Puyallup valley weather that wash has cracked, lifted and in many cases washed away entirely, leaving the top course of brick open to the sky. The telltale signs from the street are white efflorescence streaks, crumbling brick faces in the top few feet, and a chimney that looks slightly ragged at the top against the roofline.
We rebuild those crowns with a formed, reinforced slab that overhangs the brick by a couple of inches, slopes away from the flue and has a bond break around the flue so the crown and tile can move separately. Our crown rebuild starts at $299 with a free quote, and while we are up there we check the cap and the upper courses, since a crown rebuild on an old Sumner chimney often pairs with a bit of repointing. Sumner is about 35 minutes from our Renton office, and because the crown needs a dry window to cure, we watch the forecast and book a clear day.
Symptoms
Signs Sumner 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
Sumner Conditions
Why this happens in Sumner
A crown on a downtown Sumner chimney has almost no protection. These chimneys rise well above steep roofs on the valley floor, so they take wind-driven rain from all sides through a wet season that delivers about 29.65 inches between October and March by the Sea-Tac 1991-2020 normals. Water pools in every crack of a flat mortar wash and soaks down into the top course.
Then it freezes. Regional winter lows average 37 to 38F, and the area touches 32F on about 60 days a year without staying frozen, so the saturated top of a Sumner chimney cycles through freeze and thaw dozens of times a winter. The Brick Industry Association explains that this expansion cracks and spalls saturated masonry, and on an unlined old chimney the damage spreads downward fast. A summer rebuild, when July and August average just 0.60 and 0.97 inches of rain, cures properly and stops that cycle at the top where it starts.
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 Sumner?
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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Sumner — FAQ
The top of my old Sumner chimney looks crumbly. Is it just the crown or the whole chimney?
Usually just the top. On century-old downtown Sumner chimneys the failed mortar-wash crown lets water into the top few courses, and those spall first while the brick below the roofline stays sound. A crown rebuild starting at $299, sometimes with a few courses repointed or relaid, typically solves it. The free quote tells you exactly how far the damage goes.
Do I need to be home for a crown rebuild in Sumner?
Not necessarily. The work happens on the roof, so as long as we have driveway access and a safe spot to set the ladder, you can be at work. We send before-and-after photos when we finish. We do prefer to do the free quote with you present so we can walk through what we found.
How soon can you do chimney crown rebuild in Sumner?
We confirm a time by phone or text after you request a quote; same-day service is often available for urgent problems in Sumner and the rest of Pierce County.
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