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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Mercer Island, WA
Replacing the cracked mortar wash on Mercer Island's 1950s-70s chimneys with a proper overhanging crown. Starting at $299.
- Serving Mercer Island & King County
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
Free Chimney Crown Rebuild Quote in Mercer Island
We'll confirm a time by phone or text.
The chimney tops on Mercer Island's original mid-century homes were usually finished with a thin mortar wash troweled flat against the flue tile. Fifty or sixty years of lake weather has cracked most of them, and on the tall exterior chimneys of a First Hill or Mercerwood rambler that crack is the main way water gets into the brick. We rebuild the crown properly: remove the failed wash, form and pour a new crown that overhangs the brick with a drip edge, and leave a bond-break gap around the flue tile so the tile can expand without cracking the new crown.
A crown rebuild starts at $299. The quote is free, and if you have been told the whole top of the chimney has to come down we will give you a free second-opinion quote, because on many island chimneys the top two or three courses are fine once the crown is replaced. We price match and take 10 to 25 percent off any written bid. Mercer Island is about 20 minutes from our North Renton office over the I-90 bridges, so we can often look at the crown the same day you call.
Symptoms
Signs Mercer Island 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
Mercer Island Conditions
Why this happens in Mercer Island
A crown on Mercer Island works harder than a crown inland. It takes wind-driven rain off Lake Washington on the west shore, and on the east shore and up on the Island Crest Way ridge it sits under a tree canopy that keeps it wet and shaded, which is where moss gets a foothold between October and April. The area's 40.34-inch annual rainfall lands mostly between October and March, so the crown spends the better part of six months saturated.
Winter turns that into damage. The island sees roughly 60 days a year where the temperature touches freezing, and with lows averaging 37-38F it rarely stays frozen, so water in a crown crack freezes at night and thaws by late morning, over and over. A flat mortar wash with no overhang simply cannot take that. A poured crown with a drip edge sheds the water instead of holding it, which is why we build every Mercer Island crown that way.
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 Mercer Island?
Call now or request a free quote — we confirm by phone or text.
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Chimney Crown Rebuild in Mercer Island — FAQ
How long does a crown rebuild take on a Mercer Island chimney, and what about rain?
The work itself is usually a half day. The new crown needs a dry stretch to cure, so between October and March we watch the forecast and pick a window, or seal the old crown temporarily and come back. Summer, with less than an inch of rain in July and August, is the easy season to schedule.
My Mercer Island chimney crown is cracked but not leaking yet. Should I wait?
We would not. Once the crack goes through, every freezing night pushes it wider and lets water into the brick below, and a crown rebuild at $299 is far cheaper than repointing or rebuilding the top courses later. A free quote tells you whether a sealer will hold it for now or whether the rebuild is due.
How soon can you do chimney crown rebuild in Mercer Island?
We confirm a time by phone or text after you request a quote; same-day service is often available for urgent problems in Mercer Island and the rest of King County.
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