Autumn weather tends to accompany many feelings of nostalgia and contentment, as well as the welcome sights of pumpkin decor and – you know it – falling leaves. While there are lots of positive associations with falling leaves, like kids jumping into piles of them and the classic beauty of their changing colors, there are also threats you need to watch out for this time of year, too – especially if you have a chimney.
It’s a truth we are all too familiar with that as leaves drift off the trees, they don’t all simply fall to the ground where you can quickly rake them up. They’re also known for making their way into gutters, outdoor AC units, and uncapped chimneys, leading to a lot of extra work for you as a homeowner.
Fortunately, the team at Northeastern Masonry & Chimney can help.
The Importance of Chimney Caps
Chimney caps safeguard your chimney by covering the opening at the top of it. They help you keep those falling leaves out, and they also ensure other things like water, animals, garbage, and other debris doesn’t enter either.
In fact, without a cap, you’ll end up with clogs, water damage, decay/deterioration, and more. In the end, chimney caps willl ensure you’re ready for anything, no matter the season or weather!
And when you work with us, you can rest easier knowing we have experience with all types of caps. Whether yours is made of stainless steel, galvanized black steel, copper, or aluminum, we’ll ensure you have everything you need to protect your chimney with style and substance. We also have experience working with a variety of chimney cap shapes (oval, square, round, rectangular, etc.), so no worries there either.
In the end, there’s no better team to help you with any and all of your chimney cap-related needs!
A Year-Round Necessity
Now, caps are obviously a vital part of protecting your flue from leaves and debris during autumn, but this isn’t the only time of year they are needed. In fact, no matter the weather – whether it’s hot and sunny or cold and snowy – a chimney cap is an essential piece of chimney anatomy.
In the winter it keeps out snow and sleet, in the spring and summertime it offers protection from grass, leaves, curious critters, and storms. Needless to say, it’s an investment every fireplace owner needs.
Proper Installation is Key
Now, we’ve stressed the importance of a chimney cap for protecting your chimney, but it also works as a valuable tool to protect other things, too! This includes your firebox, liner, and damper, as well as your walls, ceilings, and ultimately, the people living under your roof.
Let’s take excess moisture as an example. Leaves definitely draw in moisture, and if your chimney isn’t capped at all, you can bet rain and snow will quickly work their way in. This could easily lead to mold growth (which will threaten the health of loved ones) as well as hidden cracks and holes that may cause smoke and carbon monoxide exposure.
And if your liner becomes damaged, your surrounding woodwork will be much more prone to eventually ignite. In the end, lighting fires when your chimney isn’t properly capped will invite all kinds of potential threats that put your loved ones at risk.
The big takeaway from all this is that, yes, caps are essential, but so is proper installation. Your brand-new chimney cap needs to be mounted securely and evenly so it can firmly guard your chimney from autumn leaves as well as from other seasonal or animal intrusions. You could have the highest-quality cap created, but if it isn’t fitted appropriately, you’ll still have issues, and water and debris will still be able to penetrate.
In short, you’ll want a qualified and experienced professional to install your chimney cap.
Why Hire Us?
Here at Northeastern Masonry & Chimney, we have a solid background of positive, customer-verified experiences. If you do your research, you’ll note that we have numerous testimonials and 5-star reviews, meaning you can feel good about hiring us for all of your chimney-related needs.
Along with this, we always strive to stay ahead of the learning curve by attending seminars and education courses from both the local organizations and nationally-recognized ones like the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG).
And to top it all off, our staff has technicians who are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) – we never stop pushing ourselves to be better!
Take the stress out of everything by leaving it to us to help you select a chimney cap. We’ll ensure you find the most appropriate model for your setup, then we’ll get it installed securely, so you can have the most enjoyable burning season yet.
Ready to book your appointment? Call our team at 518-767-9315 today or reach out online to set something up. We look forward to speaking with you soon!