Chimney Waterproofing & Crown Repair in Show Low, AZ

A Whole Generation of Crowns Going at the Same Time

Show Low expanded hard through the 1970s and 1980s, and a great many of the chimneys we look at here date from that build-out. Concrete crowns from that era were often poured thin, flush to the brick with no overhang and no drip edge, and without expansion joint around the flue tile. Those were normal details at the time. They are also the details that fail first.

Thin and flush means water runs straight off the crown down the face of the masonry instead of dripping clear. No expansion joint means the crown and the flue tile - which expand at different rates every time you light a fire - grind against each other until the crown cracks radially from the tile outward. Both are visible from the roof in about ten seconds, and both are why so many Show Low chimneys are arriving at end of life within a few years of each other.

Exposure Is Worse Here Than It Looks

Show Low sits more open than the cabins up the hill. Less canopy means more direct rain, more sun, more wind and - critically - more freeze-thaw cycles, because an exposed chimney thaws in daylight and refreezes overnight rather than staying cold under cover. Freeze-thaw damage tracks the number of cycles, not the depth of cold, so open ground at 6,400 feet is harder on masonry than sheltered ground higher up.

Rebuild or Seal

Hairline cracking gets a flexible crown coating and the masonry gets breathable repellent. A crown that has broken into pieces, lost its overhang or is sitting proud with a gap underneath wants rebuilding with a proper overhang and an expansion joint - which is a bigger job, and we will quote both so you can see the difference rather than being told.

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