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Chimney Caps

You wouldn’t just leave a hole in your roof because you know that precipitation, cold air, animals, or leaves and twigs would get in through the hole. But doesn’t it seem like that’s exactly what your chimney is? A hole that lets stuff in. That’s why a chimney cap is so important. Your chimney is designed to be topped by the chimney crown. This is the solid piece of concrete material at the very Chimney Cap or Chase Cover - Mansfield OH - Chim Cheroo Chimneytop of your brick chimney. It actually has a great design which directs rain off its sloped sides and away from the point where the roof meets the roof because that spot would be particularly susceptible to leaks. But it does nothing to keep precipitation out of the opening itself. That’s the job of the chimney cap.

Structure of a Chimney Cap

Not every chimney has a chimney cap. This is something that the homeowner can purchase and add to the chimney structure. It sits on top of the chimney crown. It is designed like a little one-room shed, with a solid roof with sloped sides to direct precipitation towards the chimney crown. Because the purpose of the chimney is to allow smoke to leave, the chimney cap is designed with metal grated sides so that the smoke is released but outdoor things are kept out. This is a great way to ensure that stray debris, leaves, twigs, and animals are kept out of your home.

Now is a great time to be thinking about chimney caps because it’s chimney swift season. Chimney swifts are a unique little bird, shaped like a cigar, and resembling a smoky smudge. They aren’t much bigger than a sparrow or a robin, but they do have long, narrow wings. A swift spends most of its life in flight, in part because it can’t perch, but instead clings to walls when it lands to roost. In fact, a chimney swift even eats, drinks, and cleans itself in flight. These little travelers migrate to Peru every winter, then head back up north to build their nests and raise their young. Because they can’t perch, they need to look for hollow logs or caves to build their nests, but these sites are in short supply in modern-day America. That’s why the innovative swift began to use chimneys to build their nests instead. Chimney swifts also tend to go back to the same nest again and again if it’s available, so if they start out in your chimney, they’ll come back year after year unless you stop that from happening.

Prevention

Chimney sweeps are noisy nest makers and their babies are noisy, also. Other animals can make lots of noise while they’re raising little ones as well. There is also some smell associated with having animals in your chimney. If all of this is more than you want to deal with year after year, give Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc a call and we will make sure you have a chimney cap that keeps critters, leaves and twigs, and other debris out of your chimney.

By Don Rhine on July 31st, 2019 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on Chimney Caps

Does Your Crown Need a CrownCoat?

Your chimney crown is the very topmost part of your chimney. If you look at your chimney, you may see a metal topper; this is the chimney cap. But as for the actual structural part of your chimney, that is the chimney crown. Many times people get these things confused, and they do serve something of the same purpose. They keep things out of your chimney. Although a chimney cap is great protection against things getting into your chimney, not everyone has a chimney cap. A chimney crown is actually a part of your chimney.Does Your Crown Need a CrownCoat - Manfield OH - Chim Cheroo Chimney

How a Chimney Crown is Constructed

How a chimney crown is constructed is very important, and is often the area that causes most problems if improperly done. First of all, it is important that your chimney crown is made of the proper material. Too often, contractors take a shortcut and use regular mortar material, and with regular weathering, this will not hold up long term. Chimney crowns should be made of a Portland cement mix with mesh supports. Your chimney crown should be at least 2 inches thick at its thinnest parts in order to be sturdy enough to handle the high winds and storms that it is designed to withstand. Overhang is also necessary. In order to do the job of redirecting precipitation away from your chimney flue, you want an overhang of at least two and a half inches past the chimney. The slope of the crown is also essential. Too flat of a chimney crown will allow water to flow into your chimney. Instead, you’ll want enough slope so that precipitation runs down, off the extended edge, and past the flashing that is placed at the joint where the chimney meets the roof. This water will then go down the slope of the roof and off into your gutters rather than into your chimney, where it can cause a rusted damper assembly and other fireplace equipment, weakened ceiling and walls, and even structural damage to your chimney.

Fix it Up!

When Chim Cheroo Chimney Service is called in to inspect, clean, and repair your chimney, we’ll make sure to take special notice of your chimney crown. If cracks exist, it’s important to make repairs as soon as possible so that more precipitation isn’t allowed to sneak in. The longer this is allowed to happen, the more damage is taking place, which will mean bigger repair jobs in the future. We use CrownCoat, a product made by ChimneySaver, to seal your chimney crown and protect it from further cracks or breakage. Our expert technicians know how to apply this product properly, so that it is warrantied for 15 years.

If you think you have leaking problems tied to cracks in your chimney crown, Chim Cheroo Chimney Service is the place to call. We’ll have your crown sealed and leak-free before you know it!

By Don Rhine on August 17th, 2018 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Does Your Crown Need a CrownCoat?