Jack Pixley's Homeowner's Guide

If the tops of chimneys are properly designed and built, they should last a lifetime. Frequently they are deteriorating after 25 years or less because of poor design and construction.

As an example, one of our customers had his fireplace/chimney built in his new home in 1970. Within a few years he noticed the top was falling apart, and he had to hire a mason to repair it. After only eight years he again had to hire a different mason to rebuild the top.

Unfortunately, it continued to deteriorate with pieces of brick and mortar falling on his roof. He hired another mason who promised that his method of repair would solve the problem for good. In 2000, after becoming frustrated again, he hired us to repair it properly as outlined in my article “Tops to Last a Lifetime.”  When he and his wife visited our booth at the 2007 Minnesota State Fair, I told him, “You will never need to rebuild your chimney again.”

In addition to design and construction issues, weather conditions such as rain, snow and freeze/thaw play a major role in failing chimney tops.

The following article written by Jack Pixley appeared in the October 1997 issue of “The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology” (a national trade magazine).

Tops to Last a Lifetime