Opinions needed

[redyute]

So my neighbor is a brick guy and come spring he will break it and redo the top part whatever it's called, when we bought the house two years ago the inspector caught that and the seller was supposed to have had it fixed. Idiot just put clear silicone in the cracks and left it like that. Is there a fix or I gotta do what my neighbor says and have it torn down and redone.

 

[bholler]

You need a new crown I have no idea if the chimney needs torn down or not we cant see it very well. But when you redo the crown build forms and pour an overhanging slab. It will hold up better and protect your chimney better

 

[redyute]

You need a new crown I have no idea if the chimney needs torn down or not we cant see it very well. But when you redo the crown build forms and pour an overhanging slab. It will hold up better and protect your chimney better

Yeah I can see clay liner breaking trying to break off this crown to redo it. Will take a better pic tomorrow

 

[bholler]

Yeah I can see clay liner breaking trying to break off this crown to redo it. Will take a better pic tomorrow

It might but you have a stainless liner so who cares that clay liner is serving no purpose at all now. But you can probably do it with out breaking it anyway

 

[redyute]

It might but you have a stainless liner so who cares that clay liner is serving no purpose at all now. But you can probably do it with out breaking it anyway

Just watch a video on youtube of a guy doing his, not that bad of a job but he says you gotta use wiremesh

 

[bholler]

Just watch a video on youtube of a guy doing his, not that bad of a job but he says you gotta use wiremesh

I don't like using wire mesh. We use fiber reinforced concrete. The biggest thing is the expansion joint around the liner and the bond break between the top of the chimney and the crown

 

[redyute]

I don't like using wire mesh. We use fiber reinforced concrete. The biggest thing is the expansion joint around the liner and the bond break between the top of the chimney and the crown

Ok I've used this concrete before and he did mention the expansion joint around the liner

 

[redyute]

After watching a ton load of videos I feel like this is a repair I am comfortable doing myself, well with the help of my neighbor

 

[Woody Stover]

@ccmac was kind enough to post a link to this guy. I haven't watched 'em all but they seem pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=boss+masonry+and+tile

 

[Simonkenton]

I have a chimney just like that, which I built 20 years ago. Fireplace pictured at left.
My crown is identical to yours. I can't remember just how I did it, I am a log builder not a mason, but I think I just used regular mortar.
My crown has no cracks in it.
Yours is definitely toast. No doubt that mortar crown can be removed without damaging the clay flue tile. You could, for example, get a drill with a 3/8 masonry bit and drill holes an inch apart, all around that clay tile. Drill other holes as necessary and get a chisel and hammer and you can cleanly remove that crown.
I didn't use wire mesh. Maybe I had beginner's luck.

ps Your experience is why, when my fiancee and I buy a rental house, I do the inspection. When I discover a flaw, we just hit the seller up with the cost of repair. In your case I would have said "$400 to repair chimney crown."
They give us the discount on the price, and then after we buy the house we fix it ourselves.

The seller has no motivation to do a good job, in fact, they have a motivation to rig it and go ahead with the sale, once the deal is closed the problem is dumped on the new owner.

 

[redyute]

I have a chimney just like that, which I built 20 years ago. Fireplace pictured at left.
My crown is identical to yours. I can't remember just how I did it, I am a log builder not a mason, but I think I just used regular mortar.
My crown has no cracks in it.
Yours is definitely toast. No doubt that mortar crown can be removed without damaging the clay flue tile. You could, for example, get a drill with a 3/8 masonry bit and drill holes an inch apart, all around that clay tile. Drill other holes as necessary and get a chisel and hammer and you can cleanly remove that crown.
I didn't use wire mesh. Maybe I had beginner's luck.

ps Your experience is why, when my fiancee and I buy a rental house, I do the inspection. When I discover a flaw, we just hit the seller up with the cost of repair. In your case I would have said "$400 to repair chimney crown."
They give us the discount on the price, and then after we buy the house we fix it ourselves.

The seller has no motivation to do a good job, in fact, they have a motivation to rig it and go ahead with the sale, once the deal is closed the problem is dumped on the new owner.

Totally agreed