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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Kirkland, WA
The original crowns on Kirkland’s 1960s-70s brick chimneys are past their lifespan. We rebuild them to shed water properly, starting at $299.
- Serving Kirkland & King County
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
Free Chimney Crown Rebuild Quote in Kirkland
We'll confirm a time by phone or text.
The crown is the concrete slab on top of a brick chimney, and in Kirkland it is usually the first thing to fail on the 1960s-70s masonry chimneys in Juanita, Finn Hill, Kingsgate and the older neighborhoods near downtown. Crowns from that era were commonly poured thin from ordinary mortar, level with the brick edge, with no overhang and no expansion gap around the flue tile. After fifty-plus years of Puget Sound weather, most have cracked, and many have lost sections entirely. A cracked crown sends every rain into the top courses of brick and down around the flue, which is where spalling, loose brick and leaks into the house begin.
We rebuild crowns in Kirkland starting at $299. A proper crown is poured thick enough to last, slopes away from the flue, overhangs the brick so water drips clear of the face, and has a sealed expansion joint around the flue tile so the tile can move without cracking the new crown. We check the top courses and cap too, with a free quote on anything else. Already have a crown quote? We give a free second-opinion quote and price match plus 10-25% off. Kirkland is about 25 minutes from Renton, so crown work is easy to schedule on a dry day.
Symptoms
Signs Kirkland 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
Kirkland Conditions
Why this happens in Kirkland
Crowns wear out faster in Kirkland than the brick beneath them because they take the weather flat-on. The area sees measurable precipitation on roughly 150-156 days a year, about 40 inches in total, and around 73% of that falls between October and March, so the crown is wet for most of the cold half of the year. Water in a hairline crack then meets about 60 days a year that touch 32F with winter lows averaging around 37F: it freezes overnight, thaws by afternoon, and pushes the crack wider each time. That saturation-and-freezing cycle is the standard way masonry cracks and spalls, and a thin, unreinforced 1960s crown has little resistance to it.
Kirkland's shaded lots make it worse. A crown on the north side of a roof under big trees dries slowly and collects moss, which holds water against the concrete well into 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 Kirkland?
Call now or request a free quote — we confirm by phone or text.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Crown Rebuild in Kirkland — FAQ
My Kirkland chimney crown is cracked but not leaking yet. Should I wait?
We would not. A cracked crown on a 1960s-70s Juanita or Kingsgate chimney lets water into the brick every wet season, and the damage below it grows each winter. Rebuilding the crown now, starting at $299, is typically far less than repairing spalled brick and a leaking flue later. The quote is free.
What month is best for a crown rebuild in Kirkland?
Summer. June through August averages only about three inches of rain combined, which gives a new crown the dry time it needs to cure well. We can work other months between storms with the crown protected, but a non-urgent Kirkland crown job is best booked for the dry season.
How soon can you do chimney crown rebuild in Kirkland?
We confirm a time by phone or text after you request a quote; same-day service is often available for urgent problems in Kirkland and the rest of King County.
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