Your chimney is an important part of your home. It keeps the smoke and exhaust out of your home, directing it into the great outdoors. As important as it is to make sure that the smoke is able to exit the chimney, there are also some things that need to be kept out. One thing that needs to stay out of the chimney is precipitation in any form: rain, sleet, hail, or snow. You’ll also want to keep out animals and birds which can build nests in your chimney. Nests can cause blockages or can catch sparks and cause chimney fires.
Chimney Caps
One of the best products to protect your chimney from water damage to have is a quality chimney cap. Located at the top of your chimney, this piece is specially designed to let the smoke out while keeping rain from entering the chimney. Not every chimney has a chimney cap, however, and if your chimney doesn’t, you should definitely look into having one installed.
A chimney cap is designed with a sloped top which directs rain towards the sloped sides of the chimney crown and out of the chimney itself. The design of a chimney cap includes sides made of meshed steel. This allows the smoke to exit while keeping animals, birds, twigs and leaves, and any other floating debris out of your chimney. Additionally, it eliminating the chance of a dangerous blockage building up inside your chimney. If you don’t have a chimney cap, or if your chimney cap is damaged, give Owens Chimney Systems a call. We can advise you on the best cap to meet your needs.
Top Closing Damper
Another way to keep your chimney closed off is to install a top closing damper. Most dampers are located on the interior of the chimney, closer to the bottom. You close or open them depending on whether you’re using your fireplace or not: open while using to let the smoke out, closed while not using to keep the cold air out. The problem is, these metal dampers can rust or warp, which keeps it from properly sealing. The answer? A top closing damper. This component sits on top of your chimney and opens or closes by way of a chain that hangs down into your chimney, within easy reach. This effectively keeps animals and debris out of your chimney while closed, and allows smoke to leave when open.
Call in the Experts
Whether you decide to go with a chimney cap or a top closing damper, the company to call is an easy choice: Owens Chimney Systems. We can help you choose and install whatever system you decide is best. Give us a call soon!