There’s a lot more to your chimney than you might think. Even if you don’t regularly use your fireplace to build a fire, your chimney is still an important part of your home’s ventilation system. This is especially true if your furnace exhaust goes through the chimney. At Seacoast Chimney, our goal is to keep every part of your chimney in peak condition. And that includes maintenance that you might not think about. One of those things is chimney cap installation. We’ve explained what a chimney cap is and what it does in an earlier post, but how do you know if you need a new one?
Here are the signs that your home needs a new chimney cap installation.
Rust and Corrosion
Your chimney cap keeps water out of your chimney to prevent leaks and damage. But after a while, all that water can cause the chimney cap to rust and corrode. The mesh can weaken or holes can form in the casing, allowing water and debris to get through. Small animals can also force their way through the weak spots and obstruct the flue and get into your house.
Water and Debris in the Fireplace
Often you can’t see whether the chimney cap is damaged by just looking at it from the ground. And it’s understandable that you don’t want to climb on your roof to take a look. But if you see water or debris inside your fireplace, that’s a sign you need a new chimney cap installation. If the chimney cap is damaged, dislodged, or missing entirely, water and debris can fall into your chimney and make their way down to the fireplace.
Downdrafts
Another thing the chimney cap does is keep gusts of wind from blowing down the chimney. On a windy day, a sudden gust of wind can blow down your chimney. Not only is this chilly, but it is also messy when soot and ash get blown into your living room. When this happens, a missing or broken chimney cap is usually the cause.
Maintenance and Chimney Cap Installation by Seacoast Chimney
If you have noticed damage to any part of your chimney, call Seacoast Chimney. We do maintenance, repairs, cleanings, video inspections, and more! Anything your chimney needs, we have you covered at Seacoast Chimney.
