Chimney crown repair and waterproofing in Scranton
Chimney crown repair and waterproofing in Scranton runs $400 to $1,500 per chimney, from sealing a cracked crown and adding a cap at the low end to pouring a new crown, relaying the top courses and treating the stack at the top. The chimney is the most exposed masonry on a valley house and the one most people never look at. A coal-era chimney was built oversized for a coal draft, often with no crown at all, just a mortar wash that cracked decades ago. Water goes down the open flue and into the cracked wash, soaks the brick, and freezes. By the time you see white staining on the chimney breast in the living room, the top four courses are usually loose. We rebuild the crown as a proper overhanging slab with a drip edge, cap the flue, repoint the stack, and treat it with the same breathable repellent used on walls.
Part of the Anthracite Masonry Waterproofing service list for Scranton. Full ranges on the cost guide.
What you are probably seeing
- ■White or brown staining on the chimney breast or ceiling near the chimney
- ■Brick faces flaking off the top of the stack
- ■A mortar wash on top that is cracked into pieces or missing
- ■Rust streaks below the flashing on the roof
- ■Flue tiles with pieces missing when you look up from the firebox
- ■A damp smell from an unused coal-era flue after rain
Why coal-era chimneys take on water
Most pre-1940 houses in Scranton, Dunmore and the Mid Valley had a coal furnace and a chimney sized for it: big flue, tall stack, and a simple mortar wash on top instead of a poured concrete crown. Those washes cracked within a few winters and have been letting water into the top of the stack ever since. Add an unused flue with no cap and every storm drops water straight down inside. The brick at the top freezes and spalls, the mortar washes out, and eventually water reaches the chimney breast inside the house.
Converted houses with gas or oil now venting through a liner still have the old masonry around it, and that masonry is still getting wet.
Crown, cap, flashing, then the stack
The order matters. The crown is rebuilt first as a two inch thick slab that overhangs the brick with a drip edge, so water sheds clear of the stack instead of running down it. A stainless cap goes over every flue, active or not. Flashing at the roof line is checked and counter-flashing reset into a raked joint where it has pulled loose. Then the stack itself is repointed and, once cured, treated with a penetrating repellent. Doing the repellent without the crown is the mistake we see most: it seals the sides while the top keeps pouring water in.
How the job runs
- 1
Roof-level inspection
Crown, flue tiles, top courses and flashing looked at up close, with photos sent to you the same day.
- 2
Crown and cap
A new overhanging crown with a drip edge and a stainless cap on each flue.
- 3
Repoint and reset
Loose top courses relaid, the stack repointed, counter-flashing reset into raked joints.
- 4
Treat the stack
Silane/siloxane repellent applied to the cured masonry so the stack sheds water for the next decade.
What this work costs in Scranton
| Job type | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Repointing and tuckpointing | $1,500 to $6,000per job ($10 to $25 per sq ft) | Joint depth, lime mortar matching on pre-1930 walls, scaffold height, how much loose brick has to be reset |
| Chimney crown rebuild, cap, flashing, and waterproofing | $400 to $1,500per chimney | Crown condition (seal versus full pour), roof pitch, whether the top courses need relaying, flue count |
Every job type with what moves it is on the cost guide.
Questions about chimney crown and waterproofing
- How much does a chimney crown repair cost?
- $400 to $1,500 per chimney. Sealing a lightly cracked crown and adding a cap is the low end. Pouring a new crown, relaying loose courses and treating the stack is the high end.
- My chimney is not used. Does it still need work?
- Yes, and often more than an active one. An unused coal flue with no cap and a cracked wash is an open pipe for rain into the middle of your house. A cap and crown repair stops it.
- Is the stain on my chimney breast a roof leak?
- Sometimes, but on valley houses it is more often water coming down the stack through a failed crown or an uncapped flue. We check the crown and flashing together so you get one answer.
- Can chimney work be done in winter?
- Crown pours and repellent need temperatures above about forty degrees. Caps and emergency tarping can go on any time. Most chimney work here runs April through November.
Get a written price
Address first, then what you see. We call back with the range and a time for the hose test. Or call (570) 909-2820.