Chimney caps installed by our professionals at Guaranteed Chimney of Westchester are certainly an affordable installation and an installation we classify as necessary for your chimney. Every chimney needs a cap and without one your chimney is essentially a large hole that leads directly into your home. These caps protect your home from many hazards and also allow your fires to burn longer and extend the life of your chimney before needing repairs. Without proper capping, here are issues that may arise:
- Loose Debris - A properly installed chimney cap will keep animals, leaves and all other debris in the area from falling into the chimney. If you do not have a chimney cap or one that needs repairing by one of our professionals, your chimney will be subject to leaves, sticks and even animals-which can lead to dangerous blockages.
- House Fires - Don't have a chimney cap? What happens to the burning embers that rise from your fire and travel to the top of the chimney flue? Without a proper cap, these embers exit the top of the chimney and can land on your roof as well as your neighbor's roofs and lead to serious fires.
- Water Damage - The enemy more dangerous than animals and debris to chimneys without caps is in fact, water. Without a properly installed cap; ice, snow and rain will all fall down through the flue. This will lead to extensive damage within the interior of the chimney-which will be costly to fix, along with any other damages that resulted from the damaged chimney. When the water thaws and freezes, cracks in the chimney lining will begin to show. The chimney crown will become worn down and damages to your house will start to occur.
Types of Chimney Caps:
There are several types of chimney caps that our chimney experts at Guaranteed Chimney of Westchester can install for you. The most basic chimney caps will protect your home against weather damage-although we suggest you upgrade to a wind-resistant cap to prevent downdrafts into your home. A cap with protective screening to guard against animals intruding is also a good investment.
There are many different materials to choose from when having a cap installed as well. Galvanized steel rusts quicker than most materials, which causes all attachment screws to rust and and come loose with a strong wind. Aluminum caps, break down easily and can be damaged by animals. Given this plethora of knowledge, our experts suggest installing a stainless steel chimney cap as the maintenance on them is minimal and the look doesn't go out of style.
Save money down the road by having a chimney cap installed today!