Chimney Care Company's Blog

4 Reasons Why You Need a Chimney Cap

A chimney cap can protect and preserve your chimney for years to come. It’s a must-have for your chimney.

Look up. Do you see a cap atop that chimney of yours? If not, here’s why you need to fix that A.S.A.P.:

1. To keep ice and water out. Without a cap, a masonry chimney will take on—and even absorb—a great deal of water, which is damaging not only to the chimney itself but to all components of the chimney and the areas around your chimney—your walls, floors, and ceilings. A wet chimney will also be a stinky chimney. Read more about why chimneys and water don’t mix here.
2. To keep animals and insects out. Unless you love the incessant sounds of skittering and tweeting, infestations of insects and vermin, and the smells of dead animals, you will want a chimney cap to keep all living creatures out of your chimney. Animals, of course, make nests, too, which can impede the flow of air through your chimney, causing drafting problems, and become a fire hazard.
3. To keep debris and trash out. Chimneys are known to become receptacles for whatever the wind carries—be it leaves and branches, trash, golf balls, etc.; you name it, we’ve found it there. These things might seem inconsequential, but they can cause blockages in your chimney that lead to fire, smoke damage, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
4. To keep sparks and embers in. Chimney caps are equipped with wire mesh that won’t allow sparks and large burning embers to pass through, though toxic gases and smoke will be able to exit freely. You will want to keep sparks and embers inside your chimney so that they don’t catch anything adjacent to your chimney on fire.

New Chimney Caps and Chimney Cap Repairs

If you already have your masonry chimney capped, but have a cap that’s seen better days, we may be able to repair your existing cap. And if you do end up needing a new cap, we can make sure you have the correct replacement cap and that it is properly installed so that you’ll never have to worry about water getting into your chimney again.

If you have a prefabricated fireplace, your chimney cap is called a “chase top.” It’s important to know that not just any chase cover will do. Manufactured chimneys must have the proper manufacturer-specified chimney cap. The Chimney Care Co., which serves homeowners in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, can locate the correct chase cover or chimney cap for your chimney.