Chimney Caps and Dampers
The chimney cap also protects the crown of the chimney from rain ice and snow which causes freeze/ thaw and general deterioration which will vary greatly depending on the age of the chimney and the way it is built. It also prevents water entry into the brickwork of the chimney that will usually show up as a black bacteria growth that tells you that the interior of the chimney is staying wet for days or weeks after a rain. Crownguard can also be used to permanently prevent water entry through the crown when a cap is not desired or affordable. There are many products on the market, only Crownguard will last forever both by warranty and by our experience.The chimney cap has screen vertically between the base of the cap and the lid or roof. The screen acts as a spark arrestor for wood burning fireplaces, and the roof also keeps rain and tree debris from entering and possibly clogging the flue. No gas products (logs or coals) can be installed without a chimney cap, as these products also create carbon monoxide which must be properly vented to the outdoors.
We install many top sealing all stainless steel dampers( which is usually mistakenly referred to as the flue) at the top of the chimney as well. A stainless steel cable descends the flue and is attached at the sidewall of the firebox for effortless and easily visible opening and closing, at least with our product. There are many top sealing dampers on the market, we have used or serviced them all and most of the them can create problems or not close properly without the homeowner knowing it. We have seen many installed by chimney companies that did not take into account the safe operation of the fireplace. The one we use is the only fully stainless steel damper that will not cause any problems in normal use based on 15 plus years of installations. As we drive around Atlanta we see many of them left open on a continuous basis, so this item alone is not adequate to guarantee protection, although there are some chimneys we will integrate the cap with the damper which protects the flue only and not the rest of the top of the chimney (the crown).
The best scenario 95% of the time if you do not have a damper is a chimney cap that covers the whole chimney and a top mount stainless steel damper. If you have a properly functioning throat or top damper than all you need is a chimney cap. There are 2 basic styles of chimney caps that we recommend:
The Custom Hip Roof Chimney Cap is built to order to fit your chimney only. The most common material we make this out of is 26 gauge steel pre-coated at the factory on both sides. One side(the inside) is a gray paint, the other a black silicone polyester coating similar to metal roofing. This guarantees that for a minimum of 10 years the elements( which at the top of the chimney can be severe) will not damage the coating of the cap on a chimney with a properly vented furnace flue. These caps can also be made of aluminum in a wide array of colors as well as stainless steel and copper for a lifetime warranty. They all have vertical screen and are available with a flat rather than a hip roof at a small discount.
The modular chimney cap is a mostly flat roof cap that is pre-made in many sizes to fit a large percentage but not all chimneys. We order the size that will best fit your chimney. They come in powder coated black with a 6 year warranty, or stainless steel and copper with a lifetime warranty. The stainless steel cap can also be painted black with a special high heat paint designed to permanently adhere to stainless steel, for those interested in a cap with a lifetime warranty but prefer a black appearance on their chimney rather than stainless steel. They have no base that extends down over the brickwork, so there is less material and since they are not custom built they almost always cost less than a custom cap. They will not work on all chimneys, especially chimneys that are wide as well as long. We sell quite a few of these caps, especially on older homes in any price range. (There are quite a few we have installed in all the intown neighborhoods including Druid Hills on Lullwater, Oakdale and Springdale roads.).We also do custom chimney pots in copper and protective caps for clay chimney pots. There are also rain pans and shrouds for pre-fabricated fireplaces out of a variety of metals properly installed or re-installed to last forever. All chimney caps provide the same range of function and protection. The way they appear on the chimney is the only difference.
Call Chimney Mischief at (404) 377.1254