Your chimney is designed to vent smoke, excess heat, and gases through an opening on the top of your roof. This opening is very important to the operation of your chimney and without it, you wouldn’t be able to safely start a fire in your home. However, your chimney also exposes your home to the outdoors, along with the potential hazards it brings. These hazards include rain, sleet, snow, ice, debris, and animal, just to name a few.
Because of this, your chimney opening needs protection, and a chimney cap is an essential component. At Northeastern Masonry and Chimney, we know how to protect your chimney. We want to give you some insight on how a chimney cap works and what types of problems it prevents.
The Chimney Cap
The chimney cap is considered your chimney’s first line of defense against the outdoors. It consists of a cover or cap that sits atop a mesh wire caging. The cover prevents rain, sleet, snow, and other precipitation from falling into your chimney. The mesh cage is designed to keep animals and debris from entering your chimney. However, it still allows smoke, heat, and gasses to exit your home properly. Because of its location, your chimney cap is constantly being bombarded by the elements. That is why it is essential have a properly installed and well made chimney caps, and it is also essential to inspect your chimney cap for damage periodically.
Water Protection
There are many potential chimney system issues caused by rain and snow. If moisture is allowed to get inside your chimney, it can dilute the creosote that has formed inside your chimney. This dilution is highly acidic and can erode the inside of your chimney masonry. In addition, it also can create a stinky odor. There are other moisture issues that your chimney cap helps protect against such as rust, rotting woodwork, and masonry stains.
Nature protection
Your chimney cap also helps prevent nature from entering your chimney. If you leave your chimney unprotected from the outside world, leaves and small branches can easily enter your chimney. Animals may also try to use your chimney to build a nest. Chimney debris can restrict the airflow for your chimney system, which lead to poor fires and allow smoke and gases to flow back into your home. Furthermore, blockages can also lead to a chimney fire.
What kind of cap do I need?
If your chimney cap is missing or damaged, it’s important to get it replaced as soon as possible. Chimney caps come in a number of styles and sizes, and it also vital to have it installed by a certified chimney technician. At Northeastern Masonry & Chimney, we know every home and chimney system is unique.
Because of this, we can customize a chimney cap to fit your specific needs. If you’re in the market for a chimney cap or have questions regarding chimney cap installation, please contact Northeastern Masonry & Chimney to schedule an appointment or give us a call at 518-767-9315 today!