Stonework Chimney Question

[Stovequest]

Below are images of my chimney. I'm guessing this is the original stonework when the previous owner had the house built 33 yrs ago. I am seeing some cracks starting to form where the condensation runs down the chimney in the dead of winter. I noticed this last winter there was a decent amount of ice built up on the backside of the chimney. The Wood stove is a 1980:s blaze King. Should I just get some type of topcoat mortar to fill in the cracks to keep the water/freezing cycling from going farther into the stone work?

 

[armanidog]

This is a good guide:

How to Fix Cracks in a Stone Chimney

Old chimneys may have cracked and crumbling mortar joints. Aside from the aesthetic...

homeguides.sfgate.com

 

[bholler]

Below are images of my chimney. I'm guessing this is the original stonework when the previous owner had the house built 33 yrs ago. I am seeing some cracks starting to form where the condensation runs down the chimney in the dead of winter. I noticed this last winter there was a decent amount of ice built up on the backside of the chimney. The Wood stove is a 1980:s blaze King. Should I just get some type of topcoat mortar to fill in the cracks to keep the water/freezing cycling from going farther into the stone work?

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Just a top coat won't do anything you need to remove the old mortar and replace it.