Why A Chimney Cap Is Essential

There are many essential products you need for your chimney, one of them is a chimney cap. A chimney cap has many uses, but one of the biggest reasons to have a cap is to protect your chimney from water penetration. Water is one of the main causes of chimney damage and deterioration.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America(CSIA) recommends having a chimney cap installed, as it’s the most economical way to keep the water out of your chimney and prevent damage. If you’re not sure which chimney cap to choose and want to learn more about them, Valley Chimney can help.

What Is A Chimney Cap?

Chimney caps aren’t required on every home, but we do highly recommend them since they provide added protection to your chimney and home overall.

A chimney cap is essentially a metal cap that sits on the top of your chimney to help protect it from the Earth elements. It directs water away from the crown and flue that connects to your fireplace. If your chimney doesn’t have a cap professionally installed, you’re leaving your chimney to be susceptible to the Illinois weather, birds, animals, and more. By having a chimney cap installed, you’ll increase the lifetime of your chimney liner.

Another top reason, we recommend having a chimney cap installed is because they help keep debris and detrimental weather from entering your home and causing damage to your chimney. If these objects build up too much they can cause a chimney fire or affect the draft of your chimney. The draft is one of the most important functions of your chimney, and without one your chimney is essentially useless.

When deciding on which chimney cap to install, it’s important to make sure that the mesh is small enough to keep the critters out, but also ensure that the smoke, gases, and more can get through the mesh openings safely and exit through the chimney. A chimney cap installed by a professional will help contain the sparks from the fire to prevent them from making their way up the flue and escaping because if sparks do fly, it can cause a fire just from catching onto a dry patch of grass or leaves.

Overall, the main reason why you should install a chimney cap is to keep your family and home safe. Our Valley Chimney Sweep team has been working around the Chicagoland area for over 40 years keeping homes and residential chimneys safe.

If you’re concerned about the cost of a chimney cap installation, they are fairly cheap and easy to install. However, if you wait to get one added to your chimney, you could end up facing damage and repairs later on down the road, costing you more overall. Contact us and we can help you pick the right chimney cap.