Keep your chimney and home safe and dry. Give us a call or email us for help installing chimney caps today. 

Fireplaces are a great way to keep your home warm and cozy during colder months without having to turn on the heat, but many people overlook the most important part: the chimney. Chimneys help prevent buildup of harmful gases in your home, and can also add to the aesthetic of the exterior of your home. Since your chimney takes care of you and your family, it is essential that you take care of it.

The best preventative maintenance step you can take is installing a chimney cap on the outside of the chimney. While they are not usually required on homes, it is strongly recommended to maintain the health of your chimney.

One of your chimney’s biggest threats is water. Uncovered chimneys are susceptible to water getting between the chimney liner and the chimney itself. This can cause deterioration of the chimney structure, creating a very large problem and potentially having to rebuild the entire chimney. And if water can enter your chimney, it can also enter your home, leading to a host of moisture, rot and mold issues. Ask any real estate agent, fireplace repairs can be very expensive, so it’s best to make a simple investment in a proper chimney cover to prevent future issues.

Installing a chimney guard helps divert water away from the center and off the sides of the chimney, meaning water cannot get in the liner or the flue, thus keeping your home dry and stable. So

Another important reason to install a chimney cap is to keep things out, including both plant and animal species. During the fall, dropping leaves and needles can enter your unprotected chimney, causing a backup. We always remember to clean our gutters in fall, but what about our chimneys? Installing a cap, along with mesh protection on the sides of the cap creates a barrier that allows the gasses and smoke to leave your home, but doesn’t allow fire causing leaves in. You may still have to remove any buildup from around the chimney cap, but that is far easier than cleaning out an entire chimney. Chimneys also make a great nesting place for critters and birds since it is a warm, dark, and protected space. Using the same cap and mesh will ensure that you don’t suddenly find a squirrel or raccoon in your house.

Just as important as keeping things out, chimney caps also help keep things in. Occasionally, large sparks from your fireplace can make their way up the chimney flue, which can potentially be dangerous. If a very hot spark makes its way out of your chimney, it can potentially cause a roof or even grass fire. Adding a cap keeps these embers inside the chimney where they belong.

Overall, installing chimney caps prolongs the life of your chimney by preventing water, dirt and debris from entering and damaging your liner and eventually the structure of the chimney itself. The cost of a chimney cap is also minimal compared to having to call pest control, replace the liner, or even the entire structure itself. Do yourself and your chimney a favor and call us to install a chimney cap on your chimney today!