St. Louis Chimney Cap
When the weather gets nasty there is nothing better than escaping the cold and blustery outdoors with a warm, crackling fire! It is relaxing to watch the elements howl outside while you are warm and dry by your fireplace. Who doesn’t like to watch a fire crackle and dance, as smoke lazily drifts up the chimney? It is in these moments that you really want the outside to stay out and the inside to stay warm and dry. Have you ever thought about what keeps the elements out of your chimney? If the smoke can go out, what keeps everything else from coming in? You may not know about every aspect of your home’s fireplace or chimney, but there is an important piece sitting at the very top that protects your chimney from the elements: the chimney cap.
The Chimney Cap
The chimney cap is a piece of metal that performs a big job for your home. Typically fabricated from steel or copper, this piece consists of a solid, flat top and meshed or ventilated sides. The piece mounts to the outside of your chimney. There are five key reasons a chimney needs a chimney cap:
- Prevents Moisture: The chimney cap’s solid top acts as an umbrella to your chimney; keeping rain, hail and snow from coming down the chimney. A deluge of water in your chimney is not only bad for sustaining a blazing fire. Even smaller amounts of water can cause damage to the internal pieces of your stack, eating away at motor or fostering the growth of mold or mildew.
- Keeps out the critters: Small animals like birds, squirrels and even raccoons will try to make their nests in nooks like your chimney. Getting these animals out can be a frustrating and costly business. The sturdy metal design of a chimney cap will keep all manner of animals out of your home.
- Blocks downdrafts: Wind can be an unpredictable element, gusting and blowing during a storm. If you are using a wood burning fire a downdraft can blow smoke and ash into your home. The flat top of a chimney cap will prevent downdrafts during gusty weather and allow the smoke to flow up and out.
- Prevents debris: Animals aren’t the only example of the outside trying to make its way indoors. During stormy weather leaves, branches and other debris can blow around your roof. The chimney cap prevents these items from lodging in your chimney, blocking the smoke and creating a fire hazard for your home.
- Stops sparks: Speaking of fire hazards, chimney caps are sometimes referred to as spark arrestors. This is because chimney caps also perform the important task of preventing sparks and embers from escaping the chimney and landing on the roof, which could otherwise potentially start a fire.
Choose Clean Sweep Chimney for chimney cap repair and installation
Given all of the safety features performed by a chimney cap, it is important to have yours inspected annually to make sure that it is in good working order. If yours is in bad shape it should be replaced as soon as possible to keep the great outdoors out of your chimney. If you are concerned about the status of your chimney cap and want a professional inspection, we can help! Our certified chimney sweep professionals can both inspect and install chimney caps for your home. Call us today to get a free estimate or schedule an appointment.
Servicing all of St. Louis, MO
Our service area includes:
- St. Louis
- Chesterfield
- Creve Coeur
- St. Charles
- O'Fallon
- Wentzville
- Ladue
- Kirkwood
- and everywhere in-between!
Get Your Free Estimate Today!
Whether you need a simple cleaning, repair work, or a brand new fireplace or chimney, you can count on Clean Sweep Chimney. With over 30,000 chimneys serviced over the years, we are one of the most experienced and longest lasting family owned companies in St. Louis. Let us help you with our St. Louis chimney services!
Call us at 636-477-9966 or click below to send us a message and get a free estimate on your
next project.