Our Company Blog

How Your Chimney Cap Should Function

The cap may be the most important part of the chimney system-especially in springtime. It essentially protects the chimney flue from the top-down. Chimney caps come in varying styles depending on the climate, wind, and more. They also may double as a damper (top-sealing damper) and may even allow bird habitation. Your cap is the hat that protects the flue opening, and it seems, the cap itself wears many “hats”. 

The Cap Keeps the Weather Out

No matter what kind of chimney cap you have on your chimney, it should keep the weather out. The primary job of the chimney cap is to prevent precipitation from going into the flue. Most caps are designed to let the water run directly off the cap, and onto the crown where it runs off and onto the flashing and roof. These parts of the chimney system work together to prevent water damage that can devastate a chimney.
If you live in an area with high winds such as in a hurricane area, or near the Great Lakes you may find that most chimney caps have wind deflectors. These not only keep water out, but also wind that may carry water, may affect the draft, and more.

The Cap Keeps Animals Out

If a critter can climb onto your roof, you can bet it can also get into your chimney flue if it isn’t capped. Your chimney cap should prevent animal intrusion, including small types of birds, chipmunks, and even larger ones like raccoons. Chimney caps keep even the smallest animals from sheltering in your chimney, bringing their nesting materials, and leaving behind flammable debris and droppings. If you have an animal in your flue, you may need to call a professional for a humane removal. Even if the animal gets out of the flue on its own, it likely left behind claw marks, droppings, feathers, fur, and other materials that do not belong. You’ll need a chimney sweep to clean this material away-and you’ll need a chimney cap installed!

In some cases, like when a chimney swift is allowed into your chimney, there isn’t a thing you can do to remove them. Chimney swifts are federally protected, and they nest in chimneys (the next best thing to hollow trees, which is their natural habitat). These tiny birds will nest in an uncapped chimney and cannot be removed or harmed until they leave on their own, which can take up to 90 days! It’s best to prevent them from arriving in the first place.

The Cap Keeps the Fire In

Finally, your chimney cap will prevent stray sparks from escaping the flue and igniting other materials. Most roofs have dried leaves and branches, and shrubs and grasses are dry from a long winter and may be flammable. The chimney cap sends these sparks right back down to the fire, preventing a possible devastating fire.

Does your chimney have a cap? You’d be surprised how many new homeowners find their chimney without a cap. Others may not have noticed the cap blown off or damaged during winter. Make sure your chimney is capped by looking it over regularly.

Call Chief Chimney Services for more information about repairs and installations of caps and more.

I Hear Noises in My Chimney!

No, your chimney hasn’t developed a social media life. All that tweeting might mean you have a case of chimney swifts. And they aren’t the only things that like to call your chimney home. If you’ve been hearing noises or smelling odors that are less than pleasing lately, you just might be hosting animals or birds—keep reading to see just who might be taking up residence inside your chimney.

A right sized chimney cap should keep critters from setting up a home inside your chimney.

Raccoons aren’t an animal you want hanging around your house, much less in it. They carry many diseases, including rabies, and are especially good at finding their way through the chimney—some can even make it into or past the damper. Bats are another disease-ridden animal that like to take shelter in chimneys. While these animals are a nuisance to homeowners throughout the country, we deal with a high percentage of animals infected with rabies in New York State—raccoons and bats topping the statistics. This moves critters into the hazard zone for New York State homeowners with chimneys.

Probably the most audibly annoying chimney residents are the chimney swift. They earned their name because they love to build their nests along the inside of the flue by using their saliva to attach small twigs. When their young hatch, you’ll be dealing with about 2 weeks of chirping before the young are off and on their own. If your chimney has developed a case of chirping, you’ll have to wait until the swifts have moved out to have your chimney cleaned. You have to get a permit to remove chimney swifts, since they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. So, if you aren’t into hosting wildlife, you’ll need to take some proactive measures to keep your chimney tweet-free.

Installing a chimney cap is the best way to keep any kind of critter out, and will also provide you with other benefits. Chimney caps keep all kinds of things out—debris, rain and other moisture from weather. If you have a metal flue, it’s very important to have a chimney cap, since animals have nothing to grip on to escape. This creates an unpleasant smell and harder mess to clean up.

If you suspect that you have animals or birds in your chimney, don’t hesitate to call us to provide you with solutions. Keeping your chimney clean each year will ensure that debris from animals is removed so it doesn’t catch fire.  You can reach us at 631-863-2460 or schedule your appointment online.