The National Chimney Service crew sees a lot of chimneys throughout Fairfield County CT and Morris County NJ without any kind of chimney cap. This is a recipe for disaster. The installation of a new chimney cap can help preserve the safety and integrity of your chimney.
The Difference between a Full-Width Chimney Cap and a Flue CoverFlue covers work as the name implies: they cover the flue opening. They do a good job in keeping water and animals out of your chimney, but they don’t carry the extra measure of protection you get with an outside-mount chimney cap.
Full-width caps cover the entire top of the chimney including the concrete chimney crown. Not only do they prevent incoming rain & snow and keep the flue free of small animals, they fully protect the vulnerable crown from rain damage or weather events.
Chimney crowns are made of concrete and cover everything at the top of your chimney except the flue opening. They guard the interior chimney and the bricks beneath the concrete.
Over the years, crowns tend to crack. When this happens, water can move into the cracks and then freeze and expand, leading to serious damage. Once a crown has sufficiently deteriorated, water can begin eroding areas within your inner chimney including the masonry, the chimney liner and adjacent building materials of your home.
Small animals such as birds, squirrels, raccoons and rodents love to get into chimneys as shelter from the weather and in some cases to birth their young. The nesting materials these animals create and leave behind serve as a significant block to the smooth drafting of your fireplace.
Additionally, some animals actually die in the chimney, unable to escape. This adds to the draft blockage.
Along with critters, an open chimney flue can let in all sorts of outside debris including leaves, twigs and falling fruit from nearby trees. This debris creates not only a draft blockage but can become fuel for a chimney fire.
A good chimney cap will block the exit of fiery sparks and embers and keep them from landing on your roof and causing damage. Depending on the power of your draft, these hot pieces can fly off into the yard and damage lawn furniture, toys, flowers and more.
A basic flue cover also will protect against these events, but why not get all this protection from a device that truly accents the aesthetic value of your home?
Beautify the Top of Your ChimneyCustom chimney caps that cover the entire top of your chimney not only serve several important purposes but also look fantastic while doing it. National Chimney Service takes great pride in adding beautiful aesthetic touches to our customers’ homes every time we install a new full-width cap.
If you live in Fairfield CT, Dover NJ, Greenwich CT, Rockaway NJ, or other local communities and need a chimney cap or chimney damper installed, give us a call. We’ve been helping Fairfield and Morris county residents keep their chimneys safe and working right for more than 20 years.
Speak with a chimney repair professional today at (973) 270-9295 in New Jersey or at (203) 614-9765 in Connecticut.
