To keep your home’s fireplace operating efficiently, you need to protect the chimney. Problems with the chimney will cause smoke to back up into the home and create dangerous fire hazards. An easy way to maintain yours is by installing chimney caps and covers. While these two items may seem similar, there are slight differences that are helpful to understand.

What Is a Chimney Chase Cover?

The chase is the part of the chimney that sits between the roofline of the house and the chimney crown, and the cover is attached directly to the top of it. Chase covers, also called top pans, are installed on pre-fabricated or factory-built chimneys because they are built using vinyl siding or wooden walls rather than masonry.

The covers are built using steel or aluminum, and they’re attached snugly to the chase to prevent water from getting into the chimney or damaging the chase. Since they are made out of those materials, they need to have slight slopes in their design. This ensures water from rain, snow, and hail doesn’t pool and cause the cover to rust.

A common problem with chase covers is poor installation. If it isn’t installed tightly against the chase, then moisture can penetrate it and cause water damage. Even with a perfect installation, the cover should be inspected at least once a year to identify potential rusting.

What Is a Chimney Cap?

The caps need to be installed on both pre-fabricated chimneys and ones made out of masonry. In the case of a pre-fabricated chimney, the cap is installed on top of the chase cover. For masonry chimneys, it’s installed directly to the crown’s bricks. Caps are necessary because they serve multiple functions.

One is to keep water from falling directly into your chimney. Without it, moisture gets inside and damages the damper and firebox assemblies. Caps also have a mesh net that covers the chimney’s opening. This is designed so that the smoke can still get out, but it prevents wildlife from getting into your chimney.

The mesh cover also acts as a spark guard. It keeps hot embers from escaping out of the flue and catching the roof on fire. These caps come in materials ranging from aluminum to stainless steel and copper, and they can be designed to add a beautiful decorative touch to your chimney.

 

Keep your chimney protected and operating efficiently by contacting the experts at The Chimney Sweep. Serving local homeowners in Kernersville, NC, for the past four decades, their team has the experience and tools needed to service your chimney. Whether it’s a regular inspection or much-needed repairs, you can be confident that their work will be done quickly and reliably. Visit them online for more information, or schedule an appointment by calling (336) 993-8999.