Replies

1. 
   calvin | Jul 26, 2011 05:40pm | #1

   Concrete caps?

   When installed there should have been an air space (packed with the rope used in masonry heaters) and then caulked with Urethane caulk.  This allows the expansion/contraction of the flue while keeping the concrete crown from cracking.  If there isn't packing and caulk, then it may open every season now that it's started. 

   I think take a run to a masonry supply and get a tube of the self-leveling sealant and one of reg. Urethane.  You'll need to damn the outlets to the cracks so the self -leveling doesn't run out, but I'd try that first-it would go down in the crack (if it didn't all run out).  Then top it off with a decent looking bead of caulk.  Their Limestone color looks like light morter and might not show bad from the ground.

   Best of luck.

2. 
   DanH | Jul 26, 2011 07:30pm | #2

   I caulked the cracks in ours with a standard masonry caulk about 15 years ago.  Was up there about a year ago and it still looked good.

1. 
   calvin | Jul 26, 2011 07:46pm | #3

   Dan

   By "standard masonry caulk", do you mean the water cleanup type?

1. 
   DanH | Jul 26, 2011 08:17pm | #4

   Like I said, it was 15 years ago (at least).  I'm pretty sure I just picked up something that said "for cracks in concrete".  Was probably not a solvent-based product, though, since I tend to be wary of those.

1. 
   calvin | Jul 26, 2011 08:43pm | #5

   Good that it lasted......

   I've dug out some quick masonry crack repairs that were dried up poorly sealed attempts.  Dried out along the edge, curled up and sure didn't appear to have any elasticity.  Like everything else, I suppose there's good ones and the bad.

1. 
   DanH | Jul 26, 2011 08:48pm | #6

   Yeah, that's why I'm wary of solvent-based products -- they dry up slowly and curl.  The cheapest latex caulk is usually better than the most expensive oil caulk.

2. 
   calvin | Jul 26, 2011 08:52pm | #7

   The cheapest latex caulk is usually better than..........

   I'm sorry, cannot agree.  OSI has some good long lasting caulk and has for a long time.

   The Urethanes cannot be beat.

3. 
   DanH | Jul 26, 2011 09:51pm | #8

   I wouldn't consider urethane to be solvent-based.

4. 
   calvin | Jul 27, 2011 05:54am | #9

   I wouldn't consider urethane to be solvent-based.

   Really?

   It takes solvent to clean it up.    This one of those semantic debates?

2. 
   andrewrtruss | Jul 27, 2011 10:48pm | #10

   15 years is very long. how did you do it? and how is it now?