Stainless steel caps
Stainless steel holds up to weather and flue gases for many years which makes them worth the higher upfront cost.
Chimney Parts
Chimney Cap Installation Bryn Mawr, PA
A Bryn Mawr chimney sweep can measure your flue and install a chimney cap that keeps rain, birds, raccoons and leaves out while letting smoke escape. Call (484) 380-7228 to reach a local chimney sweep.
A chimney with no cap lets in water, debris and animals every day of the year. Rain runs straight down the flue, where it rusts dampers, soaks the smoke chamber and mixes with soot to make a sour smell. Squirrels, raccoons and birds nest in open flues, and their nests can block smoke from escaping.
A chimney cap is a metal hood with mesh sides that sits over the flue opening. It is not the same thing as the crown, which is the concrete or mortar slab that covers the top of the masonry.
Choosing a cap comes down to the shape of the chimney and what it vents. Some caps fasten to the flue tile with screws or a clamp, and others mount to the crown and cover all the flues at once. Stainless steel and copper last far longer than galvanized or painted steel, which rusts and streaks the masonry within a few years.
Many chimney cap installation calls in Bryn Mawr also turn up a need for chimney crown repair or chimney animal removal.
Looking for Bryn Mawr chimney cap installation? Call (484) 380-7228 to talk to a local chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
The chimney cap installation process
A cap that fits well and is fastened properly will stay on through years of wind.
Check the flue first
Nothing should be trapped below a new cap, so the flue is checked first. An occupied flue gets handled before capping.
Measure the flue
Measurements of the flue tile, or of the whole crown, decide which cap fits. A cap that is too small will not fit, and one that sits too low can restrict draft.
Pick the right cap
The cap is matched to the chimney, the appliance and the look of the house. The appliance using the flue affects the choice.
Look at the crown
The crown and the top of the flue are checked so the cap is not mounted on failing masonry. Any damage found is pointed out to you.
Fasten the cap
The cap is screwed or clamped to the flue tile, or anchored to the crown for outside mount models. A well fastened cap stays put in high wind, and the sweep can tell you how often to check the screen.
What is included
Types of chimney caps
Flue tile caps
Caps made for a single flue that clamp or screw onto the tile is the most common type on brick chimneys.
Wildlife screens
Mesh sides keep birds, squirrels, raccoons and bats out of the flue and keep debris out too.
Multi flue caps
A cap that shades the full crown and all flues together also protects the crown from direct rain.
Damper caps
Some caps include a top sealing damper that closes off the flue when the fireplace is not in use for better energy savings.
Related service
Chimney Cap Replacement Bryn Mawr, PA
An old cap can fail in ways that are easy to miss from the ground. Rusted mesh lets animals in, a loose base lets wind tip the cap, and rust streaks down the brick show the metal is breaking down. Swapping to stainless or copper means the new cap should outlast the old one by years.
In Bryn Mawr, a missing cap is often noticed only after a nest or a wet firebox appears. When you call (484) 380-7228, mention whether the old cap is still on the chimney and what the fireplace or stove burns. The sweep can also check whether anything got into the flue while the cap was missing.
Related service
Spark Arrestor Installation Bryn Mawr, PA
A spark arrestor is the mesh screen on a chimney cap that stops burning embers from leaving the flue and landing on the roof or nearby trees. The NFPA 211 standard sets a mesh size that is small enough to stop embers but large enough not to clog quickly, about half an inch or a little less. Some communities with wildfire risk require them on every wood burning chimney.
A screen that clogs with soot can push smoke back into the house, so the mesh should be checked during sweeping. If smoke suddenly starts spilling into the room, a clogged screen is one of the first things to check. The fix is usually cleaning the screen or swapping in a new one.
Local help
Chimney Cap Installation Near Me
Chimney caps in Bryn Mawr take a beating from wind, storms and the freeze and thaw cycles that come with the seasons. In Bryn Mawr and places nearby like Rosemont, Ardmore, Villanova and Narberth, squirrels, raccoons and birds treat open chimneys as easy shelter, so a solid cap is one of the simplest ways to protect the flue.
Searching for chimney cap installation near me from Bryn Mawr or Rosemont, Ardmore, Villanova and Narberth? Call (484) 380-7228 to talk to a chimney sweep who works in your part of town.
How the weather here affects chimneys around Bryn Mawr
Cold winters keep fireplaces, wood stoves and oil burners working for half the year or more. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. That is why chimney cleaning in Bryn Mawr is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Sweeps who know Bryn Mawr
Chimney sweeps in Bryn Mawr know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Clear next steps
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Cap Installation questions
What does a chimney cap actually do?
The main job of a cap is to keep water and animals out of the chimney. Water in the flue causes rust, crumbling mortar and odors, and animals can block the flue completely. Most chimney sweeps recommend a cap on every flue.
Can a cap go on if there are birds in the chimney?
Some chimney birds, especially chimney swifts, are protected, which limits what can be done during nesting season. A sweep can tell you what kind of bird it is and advise on timing. Capping after the birds migrate keeps the next season from repeating.
Is a chimney crown the same as a cap?
They are two different parts: the crown is the masonry top of the chimney and the cap is the metal piece over the flue. The cap sits on or over the crown and covers only the opening. Having one does not replace the other.
Will a cap make my fireplace smoke?
A properly sized cap should not hurt the draft, and it can even help on windy days. Trouble usually traces back to a clogged screen or a cap that is undersized or mounted too close to the flue opening. Ask the sweep to check the cap whenever the chimney is cleaned.
How long does a chimney cap last?
A good stainless steel or copper cap can last as long as the chimney itself in many cases. Cheaper galvanized steel caps rust out faster, and flue gases from some appliances speed that up. Have the cap looked at during each sweeping, since wind and wildlife can loosen it.
More questions? Call (484) 380-7228
Related services
Chimney Crown Repair
Repairing the concrete slab that caps the top of the chimney, with a proper overhang and drip edge.
Learn moreChimney Animal Removal
Clearing animals and nesting material out of chimneys and flues, then capping the top so they cannot return.
Learn moreChase Cover Replacement
Replacing rusted or leaking chase covers custom sized to the chase so water stays out.
Learn moreChimney Leak Repair
Tracing chimney leaks to the real entry point and sealing it, before the water rots framing or ruins the flue.
Learn more
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