Seven Reasons to Cap Your Chimney

The biggest enemy of your chimney system whether it’s spring, summer, fall, or winter is water. Precipitation can wreak havoc on an uncapped chimney, but rainwater is not the only reason to cap your chimney. At Hudson Chimney we know that every chimney flue needs a cap and here are the seven biggest reasons why.

1. Caps Keep Water Outhouse with chimney and chimney cap

Chimney caps are designed to keep water out of the chimney flue, preventing serious water damage and danger. No matter what brand or style you buy, it should have a metal roof on it which prevents water from falling into the chimney. The water runs off the chimney cap and onto the crown below. From the crown, water drips down to the flashing and roof.

2. Caps Keep Animals Out

Especially during spring, but also year-round, chimney caps keep animals out of the chimney system. Any critter that can make it onto the roof can make it into the chimney opening if it isn’t properly capped. If they climb back out on their own, they leave behind nesting materials, droppings, and other debris that need to be removed. Some of these animals can obstruct the chimney flue, others suffocate and die inside the system, and some, like the chimney swift, are protected under federal law and cannot even be removed from the chimney system or the home. The best way to prevent animals from gaining access to the chimney is to keep it capped.

3. Caps Keep Debris Out

During stormy periods, winds and rain may carry debris into your chimney flue, leading to obstruction, fire hazards, and even odors as these materials decompose over time.

4. Caps Keep Wind Out

In our area of Jacksonville, Florida, especially this time of year, we experience tropical weather producing high winds. At Hudson Chimney we sell and install special models of chimney caps which deflect wind to prevent damage and stop drafts from entering your chimney.

5. Caps Keep Sparks In

While your fireplace is in use, your chimney vents heat, gases, and sparks. Some of these sparks may be ignited and carried up through the flue and out while still ignited. These sparks can ignite fires on your roof and even on your yard near your house. The metal mesh on your chimney cap stops these sparks and puts them directly back into your flue and down into your fireplace.

6. Caps Protect the Liner

You chimney cap doesn’t just prevent damage to your chimney system caused by water, weather, and animals. The cap will prolong the life of your chimney liner overall by protecting it completely. Whether your liner is a clay tile, stainless steel, or another type of liner, the cap will protect it year-round.

7. Caps Can Double as Dampers

If you choose a top mount damper, it can double as a cap, closing the system from the top-down with an airtight seal. This type of cap/damper mechanism saves our customers money, provides 100 percent protection, and is long-lasting.

If your chimney flue doesn’t have a chimney cap, your chimney is at risk. Call the professionals at Hudson Chimney today at 904-282-4159. We install caps, custom caps, and energy top mount dampers.

A Blocked Chimney is a Dangerous Chimney

Think of your chimney flue sort of like a drinking straw — its job is to pull what’s inside of it up, and out. And just like a straw, imperfections can quickly stop it from doing that job. Ever struggled with a straw that had a crack in it? A chimney with a damaged flue liner behaves in a similar way — the chimney’s draft can pull and pull, but cracks and gaps fight against the upward draw.

Your chimney should be free of any kind of blockage -- otherwise you'll have big problems to deal with. See to it that you have your chimney inspected and swept as scheduled.

Your chimney should be free of any kind of blockage — otherwise you’ll have big problems to deal with. See to it that you have your chimney inspected and swept as scheduled.

If you’ve ever had a way-too-thick milkshake, you know how your flue responds to a blockage. Once again, try as it might, draft can’t pull the air and gases inside your chimney up, because something’s closing off the passage and hampering upward movement.

Blockages are a serious issue — depending on what it is that’s blocking your flue, you could end up with anything from a smoky living room to a fire hazard or toxic carbon monoxide leaking into your home.

During your annual chimney inspection, Hudson Chimney technicians always check your flue for blockages or potential blockages. But between inspections, if you’re noticing draft issues — from smoke to fireplace stains — give us a call. We can check to see if your flue is blocked, and make the necessary repairs to have your chimney properly venting again.

Some Of The Most Common Chimney Blockages:

Every situation is different, but there are certain types of blockages that we routinely come across at Hudson Chimney:

Nesting Animals Brought Flammable Debris Into Your Flue

Why It Happened: In most cases, animals move into your chimney a) because it’s an attractive place to nest and b) because nothing was stopping them from doing so. If your chimney isn’t closed off to birds and other visitors, they take that as a vacancy sign, and move right in. Their nests and other debris can quickly block your flue and affect your draft, and since nesting materials are generally flammable, they can also create a fire hazard.

What Hudson Chimney Can Do: install a quality chimney cap. Chimney caps help keep moisture out of your chimney, but they also lock animals, and their nests, out. If you want or need something special, we also install custom chimney caps!

Creosote Buildup Is Closing Off Your Flue

Why It Happened: Creosote buildup is a natural part of using a wood-burning heating appliance. Heated air, gases and particles produced through the combustion of wood rise up in the flue, then condense into a liquid as they reach the cooler flue walls. That condensation layers over time and with use, and you have creosote buildup. The longer you go without a professional chimney sweeping, the more creosote buildup you have — and it can get considerable enough to block your flue and affect your draft.

What Hudson Chimney Can Do: properly sweep your chimney, and help you develop a regular chimney sweeping schedule that keeps your flue clear and venting the way it should.

Damaged Flue Liner Pieces Have Fallen Into Your Flue

Why It Happened: Many older chimneys have flue liners made out of terra cotta clay tiles. Although those tiles can be pretty durable, it’s not uncommon for cracks to develop. If those cracks widen enough for pieces of tile to break off, they can fall into the flue and create a blockage. Cracked flue liner tiles are among the things Hudson Chimney technicians look for during a chimney inspection — and that’s an important part of what we do, because a damaged flue liner affects not only your draft, but your chimney’s ability to protect nearby combustible building materials from high heat.

What Hudson Chimney Can Do: assess the damage in your chimney liner, remove the blockage and bring your liner back to proper working order. That can include repairing your existing liner using HeatShield products or installing a new flue liner, depending on the state of your liner and your chimney.

Whether you’re having trouble with your chimney or just want to stay on top of regular maintenance to keep trouble away, Hudson Chimney is here to help. If you have any questions, or would like to make an appointment with our CSIA-certified technicians, give us a call!