Cracking Up!

Sorry, but I do not have a good joke to share in this post. You may have thought about laughing when reading the title. Cracking up has another meaning, going crazy, but no, nothing too weird or outrageous today. What I find cracking up so very frequently are brick chimneys.

Brick and other masonry chimneys are a common sight on many, many homes here in Connecticut and the Northeast. Some homes may even have two or more. No question in my mind, brick chimneys are an attractive addition to the home. The problem I see however is many are neglected and or poorly built. Performing a recent home inspection I saw an example of both instances.

This home was a modest Cape Cod style that had two chimneys, an interior and exterior. The exterior chimney served the two fire places, while the interior chimney was dedicated to venting the heating system.

The parts of the chimney I want to be able to view if at all possible during the inspection are the top or crown and also the flue liners. The crown is the protective, usually concrete cap over the brick at the top of the chimney. Many I find are constructed not incorporating best building practices.

This was the case with both chimneys on this home. The house and therefore the chimneys were not exceptionally old, a bit over 35 years. The first chimney I looked over was the exterior. The crown was in very poor condition. It was cracked and falling apart, with pieces missing.

What I noticed was the large gap between the flue liner and crown. The cracks basically radiate out from this point. What this tells me is the seam where the liner and crown meet was probably never sealed. Because of this, water has been seeping through into the chimney structure. Over the years the freeze thaw cycle has caused the cracks seen in the crown. Further it is fairly clear the water is finding its way further into the structure. Cracks directly below the crown, some through the brick, are a strong indication water is inside the structure working it slowly, but surely apart.

The repair may look to be a fairly simple, but it’s quite possible it will involve rebuilding some of the upper portion of the chimney.

I doubt anyone will be cracking upon hearing the news.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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