A house fire in Portland taught me to check the crown seal every single visit

I was doing a routine clean on a two story in Portland last month. The homeowner mentioned their furnace had been acting up, but they wanted the chimney checked first. When I got on the roof, the crown seal was cracked in three places and had a gap big enough to fit my thumb. Water had gotten behind it and rotted the top two rows of brick. The whole thing shifted about an inch. If they had lit one more fire before the rain started, it could have gone through the roof. I told the homeowner it needed a full rebuild, not just a patch job. They were not happy about the price, but they understood. Now I make it a rule to get on the roof and look at the crown before I even open my brush bag. How often do you guys actually check the crown on a standard sweep? I used to skip it if the flue looked clean, but not anymore.

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