In our years of working on chimneys in the Elkton, Maryland area, Ace Chimney Sweeps has seen quite a few that are missing chimney caps. In fact, a large percentage of our repair services have been performed on uncapped chimneys. Chimney caps have long been recommended as essential chimney safety components that prevent damage. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), a chimney cap is the most economical component you need to prevent water penetration and chimney damage. The right chimney cap can even improve the efficiency of your chimney. At Ace Chimney Sweeps, we are proud to offer custom-made chimney caps in both stainless steel and copper, and we make sure the cap will fit perfectly when we install it. We would like to tell you more about the functions of a chimney cap so that you can understand its importance.
Prevent water penetration
If you do not have a chimney cap professionally installed on the top of your chimney, you have an open hole on your roof that allows water from rain and melted ice and snow to easily enter your chimney. Water penetration can cause such extensive and expensive damage that the CSIA has named water as the greatest enemy of masonry chimneys. Ace Chimney Sweeps can help you pick out the perfect cap for your chimney and install it to protect your chimney from damaging water leaks.
Keeps birds and wild animals out
Due to so many trees being cut down for construction and development purposes, birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals are choosing chimneys as nesting spots. These critters can cause a lot of annoyances and damage, so keeping them out is key. To stop birds and wild animals from getting into your chimney, you need a chimney cap that is equipped with mesh metal sides. These mesh sides will also keep hot sparks and embers from jumping out of your chimney to ignite a fire on your roof.
Improve chimney draft
Having problems with backdrafts causing smoke to enter your home? A chimney cap with vented sides can direct the wind to pull out exhaust gases and smoke. You will notice a big difference in the efficiency of your chimney with a draft-improving chimney cap.
If your chimney is uncapped, contact us at Ace Chimney Sweeps. We can construct a custom-made chimney cap that will protect your chimney from water leak damage and animal intrusions and will also improve your chimney’s performance.