Is Chimney Caps Really Necessary

While you might undertake all the care that you want of your chimney, without a chimney cap in place, the functioning will be greatly affected. Here are the reasons why a chimney cap is really necessary.

One of the important parts of our house’s ventilation system is chimneys. Chimneys are no more just a passage from where Santa Claus comes down to give gifts to your children! Nowadays, it is an important necessity to have a chimney for efficient home heating. In fact, chimneys have become a compulsory part of the kitchen to prevent moisture and stickiness.

While most people understand the need for a chimney, most of them hardly know what a chimney cap is and why is it necessary? A chimney cap, also known as a chimney crown, is installed on the top of a chimney as a covering, over a wire mesh, to prevent the chimney from damages such as those caused by water.

Here are a few reasons why chimney caps installation are really necessary –

1. Say bye to moisture : Moisture is one of the biggest problems when it comes to chimneys. To keep your chimney safe, sound and well-functioning, it should be kept away from moisture. When you don’t have a chimney cap, your chimney can face several damages, from rainwater to seep into your house to the setting of mildew. In fact, moisture often causes damage and corrosion to steel-lined chimneys.

1. No animal invasions: Most people will agree that the chimney often becomes an easy route for small animals like squirrels, birds or raccoons to enter your house and create a mess. However, most of these creatures end up dying on their way down the chimney. This not only causes animal life but also creates odor, flies and other such problems. With the right chimney cap, such problems will cease to exist.

1. Send away the downdrafts: Commonly occurring in the fireplace area, downdrafts happen when your chimney is open and causes air to run down the passage of your chimney, causing the wind to flow in the opposite direction. This can lead the smoke to come right back into the house instead of escaping. The chimney cap has an important role to play here. It blocks the opening of chimney strategically, preventing such problems.

1. Don’t let the debris in: The accumulation of debris is the most common problem faced by most chimney houses. With an open chimney, a lot of things tend to get inside, such as twigs, leaves, feathers, branches, etc. This can be avoided by installing a proper chimney cap that correctly fits your chimney.

Having stated these points, one must also know that some issues can obviously arise from chimney caps, which must also be kept in mind. One of the main problems of chimney caps is that they often cause accumulation of soot, which often clogs the chimney. During cold and stormy days, even ice and snow can block the chimney caps, which causes a problem in the circulation of air in the house. However, it is easy to overcome these problems by hiring regular cleaning services for your chimney.

Rooftop chimney sweeps have been in the business of chimney cleaning for decades now. They provide various other services like chimney rebuilding, firebox and hearth repair, chasing crowns, etc. Their experts are equipped to handle any kind of chimney cleaning requirements.