Homeowners sometimes think of chimney caps as optional accessories similar to baseball caps: they look better on some than others. That, of course, does justice to neither kind of cap, since baseball caps were designed to protect the eyes of players. It is purely accidental that they make some people – whether players or not – look better.
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How they look is addressed by a huge range of options, but that is not the actual purpose of a chimney cap. Aesthetics are great, but these devices serve a much greater purpose. They are designed to keep sparks in and everything else out of your flue, such as wind gusts, water, debris, birds, nests, and animals.
Seventh Inning Stretch?
Chimney caps are designed to protect your home and chimney, and being attractive is just a bonus. They make your fireplace system a better player in the home and protect your investment in it. They exist to keep things out of the ‘open eyes of chimneys’, and they really are not optional. That is, unless you do not mind spending money on chimney repairs or new chimneys every season!
The lifetime of a chimney is extended by a cap. The simple explanation for this is that it keeps incoming water out of the flue. Irrespective of roofs completely untouched by animal feet or falling twigs or wind-blown debris, a chimney cap keeps every flue drier. That means slower deterioration of the chimney as well as fewer noxious fumes and toxic gases, and fresher air in the home.
That is also achieved with the draft improvement that a chimney cap brings to every flue. In addition, chimney caps prevent sparks escaping the flue from landing on any roof. It is the protection they offer your home and your chimney that is making caps increasingly fashionable. Homeowners are increasingly discovering that a certified sweep can help every one of them find a cap that really suits them!
