New crown (now with photos!)

[ikessky]

I'm not really sure what I've spent my time on this summer, but I finally realized the other day that I never did fix that chimney crown that was crumbling away. So, I called the "local" concrete place and the guy said they have some precast caps in stock. I'll pick one up tomorrow and hopefully start in on it this weekend. I'm also planning on tuck pointing the chimney and then giving both the chimney and the crown a good coat or two of sealant.
I also ordered a few bags of loose fill perlite to dump in around the liner. I know I won't be able to get too much in, but I think that every little bit will help. Now I just need to seal up the bottom clean out door really well, mortar in around the snout where my liner comes out, and I should be set to start pouring it once it arrives.
Maybe I'll even through some pictures up if it all turns out decent.

 

[ikessky]

Here is the old crown pulled off the top row of bricks.

Here is the top of the chimney minus the crown.

Here is the new crown all mortared into place.

I also filed in some small cracks that were in the mortar of the bricks, but for the most part, all that mortar is holding up great. The next step will be to get the perlite dumped down around the liner. In about 2 weeks, I'll head back up to the chimney and give the crown and chimney a couple good coats of a chimney water sealer.

 

[marreque]

just wanna say nice job!

 

[ikessky]

Thanks. It's certainly not perfect, but it looks OK from the ground and should shed water. I guess I don't need any more than that!

 

[PapaDave]

Love it, when folks take matters into their own hands.
Good job!

 

[ikessky]

I got my bags of perlite today and dumped it in around the liner. Looks like I got a little carried away because I ordered two 4 cubic feet bags and didn't even finish off the first! I was a little nervous about how fine the stuff actually is. I figured it would find it's way into the liner through where the snout connects to the bottom of the liner. I checked quite a few times, but it looks like everything is good. I'll keep checking for the next few days, just to make sure, but I'm thinking that if it didn't get in now that it won't. I guess the fineness of the perlite also allows it to fill in all the voids though, so I guess that's good. I'm not sure how much I actually got around the liner, but every bit should help. I'd be more concerned if I didn't have the clay flue still in the blocks though.