What Is A Chimney Mortar Cap

What kind of mortar for chimneys.

What is a chimney mortar cap.

A cracked chimney crown or spalling bricks can easily cost 1 000 to repair. The chimney cap also called a rain cover is a stainless steel metal cage like box with a roof like top which fits directly on top of the chimney flue liner. By simply sealing the bricks and the crown and adding a chimney cap you ll greatly extend your chimney s life. The basic mortar ingredients remain the same.

Some cities have ordinances that require a chimney cap because of the danger posed by the sparks. Look for a specially prepared chimney mortar mix from a hardware or home improvement store and use it to fill these gaps. I ran into a chimney sweep who explained that the reason so many caps crack is that since the mason is up there finishing the top of the chimney and he s got a batch of mortar and he s all set up to mix mortar he creates the cap out of mortar which doesn t last as well when exposed horizontally as it does when exposed vertically. These types are type o type s type m and type n.

The cap is designed to protect and shed rain water away from the. Mortar however is not the best material to make a chimney crown with because mortar crowns will often crack due to. Before attempting this type of project chisel out any loose or damaged mortar to create a minimum 1 inch deep space in the remaining mortar. A chimney cap sometimes referred to as a crown is a reinforced concrete cap placed over the top of a brick and mortar chimney.

Chimney hats and mortar caps what is the difference between a hat and a cap. To complete the project and to prevent rain water from entering the flue install a cap and screen at the top of the chimney. The first tip to remember when mixing chimney mortar is the four different types of mortar that are commonly used in building projects. A chimney cap is also called a crown because of its function as a cover.

Often masons will use leftover mortar to make the chimney crown. The most common use for mortar in chimneys is for mortar repair between the bricks or tuckpointing. Masonry chimneys without mortar caps that would be the mortar installed around the flues at the top of the chimney and hats installed on the top of the flues can let lots of water into the flue and structure of the chimney. Mortar typically comes as a large bag of powder that must be.

It should be the consistency of cookie dough not too dry and not soggy. It doesn t have to be that way. Portland cement to bond water to turn it into a paste sand and hydrated lime to strengthen the mix are added. In addition to protecting the inside of the chimney a cap also protects the mortar at the top of the chimney.

Chimney repair projects may require a slightly different mortar mix.