Crown cracking from freeze-thaw cycles
Why it happens here
West Hills winters swing above and below freezing repeatedly, which is brutal on concrete crowns. Water gets into a hairline crack, freezes, expands, and widens the crack. By the end of winter, a crack that started as a hairline has become a real leak path into the flue.
Our approach
We pour new crowns with a proper overhang and slope so water runs off instead of sitting on top. We also seal the crown-to-brick joint, which is where most leaks actually start. A new crown typically lasts 20 years or more.