A chimney cap has many functions; it protects your fireplace by not allowing rain and snow to get inside your flue passage which can cause of deterioration and expensive repairs. A chimney cap will also keep out animals such as birds, squirrels, and raccoons. The two most common caps installed are stainless steel and copper caps with animal guards. Did you know the technical term of a chimney cap is a Spark Arrestor? It prevents any sparks from escaping onto your roof and nearby combustible material causing a fire. Chimney caps are a must! We install only the highest quality of Stainless Steel chimney caps that all come with a lifetime warranty.
Dampers are very important to your wallet. Dampers are what seal off your flue to keep heat in and cold air out when your fireplace is not in use. Did you know leaving your damper open is equivalent to having a window open all winter, that is twice the size of your fireplace opening. We replace damaged and outdated dampers with a top sealing high efficiency damper. Our dampers help to eliminate cold air drafts by the fireplace and have a 100% air tight seal at the top of the fireplace flue.
Chimney Caps
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED OR IN NEED OF NEW CHIMNEY CAPS, GIVE OUR OFFICE A CALL FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION & ESTIMATE!
Your chimney rain cap, also known as a spark arrestor, serves multiple purposes. From preventing rain and snow from entering your chimney flue system, to keeping racoons, birds, and other critters out of your chimney. Not only do they prevent debris and pests from entering your chimney, they help prevent sparks from exiting at the top of the chimney which can cause a potential for a fire at the roof level. Depending on the type of fireplace and your chimney structure will determine the rain-cap that your chimney will require.
- Standard Stainless Steel Rain Cap: Masonry fireplace and chimneys generally require your standard rain cap to be installed on top of a clay flue tile. Here at Pratt’s we install stainless steel to mitigate any potential for rust and to provide the sturdiest material available. All of our chimney caps include animal screening when manufactured.
- Prefabricated Fireplace or Insert Rain Caps: When you have a prefabricated fireplace factory built fireplace, or insert, the cap your system requires is specific to the fireplace that you have. At the time of your appointment we generally will take the make/model of your fireplace, and be able to source your chimney cap with the information provided. In the chance the rain cap is no longer available, and we are unable to install an after-market rain cap, we will be happy to discuss any further options you may have.
- Multi-Flue Chimney Caps – When you have multiple flues venting from the same masonry chimney, there is generally an option to install a multi-flue cap. It is a single cap that covers all of the venting flues and can even wrap around the entire chimney crown if desired. These multi-flue caps come in a variety of options for design and material, allowing you to maintain a classic chimney cap look or venture into a more decorative option. We offer these caps in stainless steel, copper, or powder coated to match the home.
- Chimney Pot Toppers: Chimney Pot Toppers are installed when the homeowner elects to have installed, or currently has decorative chimney pots installed on top of their chimney. These are custom made to fit your decorative pot and offered in a variety of styles in either stainless steel or copper.
- Appliance Flue or Bvent Caps: Much like your fireplace, your appliance flue requires a chimney cap as well. Depending on the ventilation of the appliances out of the roofline or chimney will determine the cap required for installation.
- Top Seal Dampers: Top seal dampers have duel utilization. They are manufactured to seal the flue at the very top of the chimney, to prevent draft and saving on energy costs as well as providing a rain cap with animal cage surround. These are often recommended when the internal damper system has either failed or needs to be removed to repair portions of the smoke chamber or lining system. However, some customers do elect to have them installed to save on energy costs and prevent draft.
I Am Hearing Animals In My Chimney – Now What?
It is not uncommon for us to receive animal calls, especially in the Spring and Fall. Racoons, Squirrels, and Birds, love to use uncapped chimneys as nesting areas to raise their young. While no one particularly wants to listen to the noises and risk the potential of these animals entering their home, having these critters nest in your chimney can cause a health risk as well. It is important that once the animals are removed the chimney is thoroughly cleaned, and capped to prevent the animals from returning. There are instances where we do have to let the animals continue to nest in the chimney, until their young are able to leave the nest on their own. The most common scenario is when there are birds nesting in the chimney called Chimney Swifts.
- Chimney Swifts are native birds that come by their name honestly. These small gray birds find the interior walls of masonry chimneys the most ideal place to build their nests. Chimney swifts are a federally protected migratory bird. This means any active nests with eggs or babies we are unable to remove or cap off the flue. We have to allow the babies to hatch and fly away on their own before we are able to clean the flue and install a chimney cap.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED OR IN NEED OF NEW CHIMNEY CAPS, GIVE OUR OFFICE A CALL FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION & ESTIMATE!