What You Should Look For In Hy-C Chimney Caps

For this article, we’ll discuss what you need to look for when on the market for a new or replacement chimney cap.  First, we’ll briefly go over the reasons why it is important to have a chimney cap:

·         Why Chimney Caps are Important

- Chimney Caps are important because they keep rain water from coming down into your chimney.  This is in turn important because rain water can damage the inside of your chimney, such as the liners and the dampers.  They can also soak through - producing mold that can get into other parts to the chimney. 

-          Chimney Caps are also important to keep animals from setting up shop in your chimney.  Birds, squirrelsand raccoons don’t belong in your chimney and can cause damage, such as producing flies or building a nest. Chimney Caps can also prevent other outside elements such as dirt, leaves or branches from clogging up in your chimney. 

-          Chimney Caps also prevent wind downdrafts.  As your fireplace produces smoke, it’s easy for the outside wind to push the smoke back through the fireplace and back into your home.  The chimney cap will greatly impede this, and prevent as much smoke as possible from entering your home. 

-          A chimney cap will prevent cracking sparks from traveling outside.  All it takes is one spark to get outside, land in the right place with the appropriate conditions, and it can start a fire on a tree or even on your house.  In this regard, a chimney cap is a vital safety protector.  

 

·         What to Look For in a Chimney Cap

-          You will find literally hundreds of different kinds of chimney cleaning tools of different sizes, materials, and shapes.  Look for a cap that is an additional three inches wide and three inches long than the top of your chimney.  If you are on the market for multi-flue Hy-C Chimney Caps, the height of the chimney cap should be at least five inches above the chimney and the flue.  If it is any lower than that, it can cause a potential draft problem.  However, don’t limit yourself to only a 5-inch screen height.  Many Chimney Capsare up to ten inches in total screen height.  

-          Material wise, look for multi flue Chimney Caps that are made out of stainless steel, and that come with a lifetime warranty.  Also look for caps that come with masonry fasteners.  

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