When it comes to a leaky chimney, there are always the culprits everyone thinks of like an improperly installed flashing, cracked chimney crown and deteriorating masonry. However, sometimes people are looking so hard for the source of the leak that they fail to look for the most obvious reason in the book. It is called a chimney cap and it does what its name suggests acting as a hat or umbrella to the precipitation that constantly bombards your chimney.

The obvious benefit is the prevention of water falling into your flue, but having a chimney cap also prevents such rodents like squirrels, chipmunks as well as bats and even birds from getting into your chimney. Not only could they make burrows and nests in your chimney, but they also carry disease which they will take with them into your living room.

Chimneys can act as very warm places for animals to reside, which is why they are so attracted to it, but the sad fact is that most residents end up dying in your chimney. Let’s just say that finding a dead animal stuck in your flue is most unpleasant. The presence of animals can also block smoke from leaving the chimney and increases the amount of carbon monoxide in your living space.

Debris can also build up in your flue and restrict the flow of smoke as well as accumulate behind your fireplace damper. A chimney cap will keep the animals as well as other debris clear of your chimney. It also defends your chimney from water.

The damage done by water can be very costly. It will erode the mortar of your bricks as well as rusting out your damper and other metal fireplace components. Water will even greatly damage you furnace and exhaust pipes. A chimney cap is a simple and cheap way of avoiding these pitfalls.

There are two different types of chimney caps you can choose from. If you have a chimney with a single flue than a single flue cap will do the trick. You can get them in stainless steel and copper which can be coated any color you wish. Should you have multiple flues in your chimney then you might want to look at a multi-flue cap which is large enough to cover more than one flue at a time. These are also available in stainless steel or copper, which can also be colored in whatever shade you would like.

Chimney caps are an incredibly cheap and useful way of keeping water or any other form of moisture from leaking into your chimney and causing damage that could cost you thousands of dollars to fix. If you are looking for a place to find good quality chimney caps, give me a call at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service in Drexel Hill. I’ll help you by installing your chimney cap, and can give you plenty of other professional tips on how to prevent leaking chimneys as well as offering some amazing services to repair any other damage you might have.