Chimney caps are a must for every fireplace owner
If you are putting the finishing touches on your new Plano home or reviewing your winterizing checklist, an important detail to keep in mind is the chimney cap.
As the name implies, a chimney cap is a protective covering that fits at the top of your chimney enclosure. Chimney caps come designed with a mesh screen to inhibit a whole Pandora’s Box-full of natural evils from interfering with the overall safety and longevity of your fireplace’s necessary venting system.
Airborne sparks
While you are toasting marshmallows and sharing intimate discussions by the glow of your fireplace’s hearth, quite a bit more is happening in the venting chamber of your chimney. The sparks produced from burning wood or faux logs will sometimes reach to your chimney’s top, and if not properly stopped, can ignite the flammable material surrounding your chimney wall, such as your roof and house’s construction. And all it takes is one airborne spark.
Nesting animals
There is another problem with an uncapped chimney. It is an open invitation to unwanted tenants moving in and settling down. These unwanted and undesired guests are of the winged and four-legged variety, and may include squirrels, birds, and even snakes! When these animals build their new summer home in your chimney, you may not notice it until the cold months arrive. A pest infestation can lead to foul odors and disease, and is also a fire hazard.
Rain
When rain enters an uncapped chimney, it causes the fireplace to smell like an old, damp cellar filled with smoke. If you are allergic to mold spores, this is one area you may want to check if you cannot find the source of your allergy. When mixed with soot, rain creates a caustic acid that starts to deteriorate the mortar between the joints of the bricks. The mortar between the bricks has a life expectancy of around seventy years, but the rain can rapidly speed up the process. Having a chimney cap in place can prevent this from happening.
How to find the perfect chimney cap?
There are different types of chimney caps, as you also have different types of chimneys. They typically fashioned out of stainless steel, copper, or galvanized metals.
Galvanized caps are the most cost-effective and do the job without regard to aesthetics. They will also require continual maintenance of paint to prevent rust and will not last past the short-term. Stainless steel is durable, never has to be painted, and will last much longer through varying elements and time. Stainless steel caps are only a fair bit more expensive galvanized caps, but they have a far more gratifying visual appeal and durability, making stainless steel caps the best choice for most fireplace owners. The copper caps are just as durable as stainless steel caps, but they also tend to be the most expensive.
You also have the option to choose decorative chimney caps. Decorative chimney caps are available in various sizes and shapes to enhance the outside appearance of your Plano home. One approach to adding visual interest to a roof, while reducing chimney backdraft problems, is the use of copper chimney pots. Although these are at the upper end of the price scale, if you have a palatial home and a hefty budget, these antique-looking chimney caps will undoubtedly enhance the house’s architecture and the overall aesthetics of the property.
Whether you want to spend less on a basic, stainless steel chimney cap or go all out on a fancy European-style copper chimney pot, you will be accomplishing a similar set of objectives: keeping your chimney and your home protected. It all depends on your budget, the design of your Plano house, and what kind of statement you would like to make with your chimney cap.
Are you looking for high-quality chimney caps in Plano, Texas?
Protecting your chimney is a very good sign of being a responsible homeowner. This just shows that you care for your house and the safety of the people living in it. Chimney caps are a small amount to pay for the immense amount of work they do for you. At Elegant Fireside and Patio, we have a wide range of top-quality chimney caps, designed for the unique needs of fireplace owners in Plano, TX. We also provide chimney cap installation services.
To learn more about our range of chimney caps, you can call us at (972) 846-4878, or you can visit our social media. We’d be happy to assist you!
