The Benefits of Chimney Caps

You can compare the chimney cap on the top of your chimney to the front door of your home. You wouldn’t leave the front door open at all times because it would be exposed to pests, wildlife, and inclement weather. The chimney cap performs essentially the same function for your home and fireplace as the front door to your house. In other words, a chimney cap is important to the proper working order of your entire chimney system. The main reasons experts recommend that chimneys have working chimney caps are:

• Reduction of Moisture. The chimney cap functions as an umbrella that keeps rain, snow, sleet, and hail from coming into your home via the chimney. Moisture rusts stainless steel liners, chimney dampers, and chimney mortar joints. At the same time, it also produces toxic mold and mildew.
• Restricts Animal Access. The chimney is a warm, out-of-the-wind dark place to build a nest for birds, raccoons and squirrels. Sometimes wildlife goes into the chimney but can’t get out. If they should die inside the chimney there will be extremely odious smells in your home.
• Blocking of Downdrafts. If the wind blows a strong draft down into your fireplace you could have a smoke-filled living room. The chimney cap prevents windy downdrafts from blowing back into your home.
• Prevent Sparks and Embers. The chimney cap helps prevent sparks from blowing out of the chimney and landing on the roof or some other area that could catch fire.

Contact Complete Chimneys for service from experienced chimney sweeps in Baltimore, MD. We provide many chimney-related services for customers throughout Maryland.