The Difference Between a Chimney Cap, Chimney Crown, and Chimney Chase Cover
Are you familiar with all of the different components of your chimney? It can help to understand the importance of chimney maintenance, when you know the aspects of what’s above the roofline. The chimney cap, chimney crown, and chimney chase cover are terms that are often confused. This is understandable, really, since they are all largely out of sight at the top of the chimney.
A chimney cap isn’t included when a chimney is built, but one should be installed on every chimney flue. The top reason a chimney cap is important is because it keeps rain, snow, ice, and sleet from falling directly into your chimney. Moisture does more damage to chimneys than anything else. Various measures need to be taken to keep moisture out, including installing a chimney cap.
The most economical chimney caps are made with aluminum. For more durability, a stainless steel chimney cap is recommended. For a beautiful decorative chimney topper, you can choose from many styles in copper.
There are other very beneficial functions of chimney caps. The mesh on most chimney caps is designed to keep hot embers from escaping out of the flue and landing on the roof or nearby flammable objects. The wire mesh on a chimney cap acts as a spark guard that greatly reduces the chances of a rouge ember causing a serious fire.
Various critters are known to crawl inside a chimney, drawn to it by the warmth inside. Many times, animals are unable to get themselves back out. This puts homeowners in a situation of needing live animal removal services or making the awful discovery that an animal has died in the chimney, which leads to an indescribably bad smell. In these instances, sweeps should be called for help, since they have the experience and tools necessary for a safe animal removal. There are risks involved with DIY removal of animals such as bites & diseases, so a pro should be the only one to perform an animal removal.
Homeowners are also put in an uncomfortable situation when birds known as chimney swifts build their home in a chimney. These birds are federally protected and cannot be removed even though they make a lot of noise and can obstruct the chimney flue. Homeowners must wait until the chimney swifts have continued their migration to be rid of the birds. Then it’s important to have a chimney cap with mesh installed. Otherwise, more chimney swifts are sure to return the next year.
Chimney Crown
A chimney crown is part of the chimney system. It’s on the uppermost part of the structure, made with cement. The important function it serves is to prevent water from entering the chimney between the outside edge of the structure and the flue. Chimney crowns are susceptible to harsh outdoor conditions. It’s important to have annual chimney inspections done because once a crack develops in the chimney crown, the flue and all of the other chimney components will be susceptible to water damage. Sometimes patchwork is sufficient but sometimes tear-down and replacement is required. Our expert chimney sweeps and masons can help determine the necessary precautions when it comes to inspecting and repairing chimney crowns.
Factory-built or pre-fabricated chimneys usually have vinyl siding or wooden walls on the roof, instead of masonry. Chimney chase covers are at the very top, and they are made with aluminum or stainless steel. It’s important that chimney chase covers are installed correctly, which means water will not be able to accumulate and cause premature rusting.
Each of these rooftop chimney parts should be checked annually, since they are all prone to damage caused by harsh weather. Contact our experts at Burlington Fireplace & Solar, if you need to schedule an annual inspection, a chimney cleaning, or chimney cap installation. Our number is (262) 763-3522.