There are two common items that sit on the top of the chimney that can easily rust out or get damaged: chimney caps and chase covers. In many instances, you will never know there is a problem until it is too late. This is why having an inspection every year is a great idea. You will catch these small repairs before you have big problems. If for any reason your chimney either does not have a cap or has lost it, you need to get one put on as quickly as possible. The reason is simple: without it, you now have an uncovered hole in your roof!
An Uncapped Chimney:
- Is a great place for critters to make a home. It’s perfect for nesting birds and small animals.
- Allows water into the chimney system from rain and snow. That can lead to moisture issues, which lead to damage and potentially expensive repairs.
- Can cause a fire hazard if burning embers and sparks escape through the open chimney. These embers can easily land in dry leaves on your roof or in your yard.
Birds often find the chimney top a good place to perch. Many times they are overcome by the poisonous, colorless, odorless, carbon monoxide being released from the water heater flue. Unfortunately, after their early demise they often fall into the flue. Over time it becomes clogged and this leads to the water heater not venting properly and costly repairs.
This system has some severe flue spalling at the top. Spalling occurs when water is absorbed into the clay tile material and then it breaks apart because of the Louisville freeze-thaw cycle. Water expands 9% when it freezes! This damage is preventable with a chimney cap that keeps water out. This entire flue should be video scanned for additional damage. It’s very likely this chimney is no longer able to contain the products of combustion and will have to be relined.
Why Consider Replacing the Chimney’s Chase Cover
Most prefabricated fireplaces that are installed end up with a galvanized chase cover that rusts out over time. If not caught in time, you will see a staining that runs down from the top of the chimney. By the time this happens, you most likely have water in the chimney system and possibly rust throughout. Replacing the chase cover with a stainless steel one that has a lifetime warranty will extend the life of a prefab fireplace’s chimney system.
The above is only a partial list of the problems we find out in the field every day. Don’t let this happen to you! Call American Chimney & Fireplace at 502-435-2364 today or request an appointment online to install a chimney cap or new chase cover. Sometimes, problems with the smoke chamber may cause smoke to back up into the home or not vent properly, so call on American Chimney & Fireplace to provide this important chimney service.
