Why do you need a chimney cap?
You need to cover your flue because of the following reasons:
• If your flue does not have a cap the chances are, rain can go inside the chimney and turn off the stove.
• Animals such as birds will take advantage of the warmth of the flue and can make their nests in your flue. A flue cap keeps them away from your flue.
• Mostly in metal flues there is air or some insulation between the caps. Without a flue cap, moisture and dust can enter between these layers and it can reduce the life of a flue.
Sometimes the flue caps are also required when an existing flue cap has been torn out and you cannot mend the previous one. Or when the existing cap is causing wind problems.
Types of chimney caps:
Single Flue chimney caps: These caps are designed to tie closely to your clay flue at the top of your fire hearth. The flue cap rests on the top of your flue tile and at the base it is zipped with pressure screws. It is available in stainless steel, copper and black galvanized steel.
Chimney Caps for Metal Chimneys: Solid pack and air cooled chimneys are available in the market for every model. These flues caps are constructed with stainless steel so you need not worry about the corrosion and rust.
Wind Resistant Chimney Caps: To the problems of downdrafts and back puffing in your flue, this is a perfect solution.
Advantages of installing a chimney cap:
• It keeps animals, especially birds from sitting on your flue and does not allow them to built nests at the top.
• In rainy season this flue cap does not allow rain to enter the flue and reduces the flue smell that usually arises in summer.
• It melts ice and steams rain that settles on top of the flue and thus increases the life of the flue.
Disadvantages of installing a chimney:
• An improperly designed or installed flue can reduce the draft.
• Sometimes it has small openings due to which the soot and ashes can clog after heavy use. This can reduce the life of your flue and stove/fire hearth.
• Chimney caps can blow off or get damaged in high winds. This can cause you to pay a visit to the top of your home to fix it. make sure whatever you installed is good enough
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