What You Need to Know About Chimney Covers

The chimney cover (or cap) is the cover that is placed on top of the chimney, or on the opening above the furnace or fireplace.  It is designed to vent gas and smoke.  Because not all flues are designed with covers, this can create problems. This article will inform you of all you need to know about chimney covers.

Without a cap at the opening of the flue, it’s very easy for outside elements, animals, wind and water go get inside the home. Moisture can seep through and into other areas of your home, and then you’ll have a number of different problems on your hands.  

 

-          If you currently are experiencing consistent problems with your fireplace, particularly with the venting system, it may be because of the lack of a chimney cover. A chimney cap will drastically reduce the amount of smoke that enters in the room.

-          Chimney covers are attached to the outer room of the flue and mount inside of it. They also serve the added purpose from preventing sparks from the fireplace getting outside and potentially starting a fire in the outside shrubbery or on your home. 

-          Several are also outfitted with dampers, which serve the purpose of preventing outside cool air from entering your home.  Some older fireplaces especially are not outfitted with damper assemblies, so it’s something you should add on  Any older masonry replacement fireplace refractory panels can easily be fitted with a top sealing damper to reduce cold air from entering and saving you on energy costs.                                                                                                                                                             

 -          Chimney covers come in a wide variety of different shapes and sizes, and are made out of many different materials as well.  

-          Many chimneys are made out of several layers of metal with an insulation layer in between each layer of metal.  Without a chimney cap, this will not be enough to make the chimney totally invulnerable to degradation from the outside elements.  Water drops can creep down into the insulated layers and prevent the insulation from keeping away heat from the metal layers. 

-          If you want to replace your existing chimney cover, look for the cover that is the tightest fitting and most resembles the original. For added protection on the new chimney cover, you can add side screens that keep animals and nests away from your chimney, as well as serve as a barrier against crackling sparks from the fire below. 

All in all, the durability, safety and energy efficiency of fireplaces and chimneys will be greatly enhanced by a chimney cap.