Chimney Caps? What Are They and Why My House Needs Them

Fireplaces are a great home addition, but it is important to maintain your fireplace and chimney properly to ensure functionality. Chimney caps help you achieve this.

Understanding Chimney Caps

A chimney cap is a metal structure that covers the top of a chimney. This structure, often made of metal, will rest on top of the brick or stone masonry.

Chimney caps are multifunctional structures. They make your chimney safer and help your home retain energy more efficiently. Let’s look at a few important ways a chimney cap is a good addition to your home.

  • Spark shield: Chimney caps are the best way to ensure that sparks do not escape and endanger your property. A properly installed chimney cap will include a screen to catch sparks and embers. Escaping embers can catch leaves, roofing or yard debris on fire.
  • Water shield: When water enters your home it can cause damage. This is especially true when you are not aware that the water is coming in. Water can pool and cause damage without you ever knowing. An open chimney will allow water to enter directly into your home. This can also cause a problem during the winter if water freezes in cracks. It can cause further damage to your chimney masonry. A chimney cap will keep this water from entering your home and causing damage.
  • Debris shield: The chimney cap will help to keep debris out of your chimney and ultimately out of your home.
  • Animal shield: Chimneys are an open access to your home for animals if you do not have a chimney cap in place.

Chimney Caps Are Not a DIY Project

Taking on home improvement tasks as DIY projects is a great way to save money and learn some new skills. A chimney cap, though, poses a lot of dangers and challenges which are important to consider. The chimney is going to be located at the highest point of your home. This can be a very dangerous project to undertake on your home.

Chimney caps are also only helpful if they are installed properly. An improperly installed chimney cap will simply cost you more money later on.

The best way to avoid these challenges and dangers is to call in a professional.

If you would like to learn more about chimney cap installation, or any of our other services, please contact us at J&B Air Conditioning, Heating & Gutters. We provide custom sheet metal work, including chimney caps. We will be happy to answer your questions and schedule you for a reliable sheet metal work estimate. Call us today at 318-255-1044.

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