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The sparks produced from burning
wood or faux logs will sometimes reach to your chimney’s top, and if not
properly stopped, can ignite the flammable material surrounding your chimney
wall, such as your roof and house’s construction. And all it takes is one
airborne spark. Nesting animals such as squirrels and birds can find a sheltered
refuge in your chimney’s top, usually without anyone being the wiser…until it’s
too late. A chimney cap prevents them and their detrimental waste from taking up
residence, thereby preventing foul odors and the mites that waste brings. Your
chimney top is also exposed to rain, snow, hail, and violent gusts of wind; year
after year. Without a chimney cap to insulate your chimney from its effects,
rain can soak into the mortar joints of your chimney’s construction, thereby
loosening the bricks or stone of your masonry chimney. Or if you have a metal
chimney, precipitation will lead to damaging rust; thereby rapidly deteriorating
your chimney. Violent wind gusts whip leaves and assorted debris into your
chimney. These flammable materials can rapidly suffocate your flue from its
necessary fire by-product venting, leading to dangerous chimney fires and
downdrafting of the trapped smoke into your home. Buying a chimney cap is a
priceless and easy solution to preventing a whole Pandora’s Box-full of natural
evils, such as: fire, disease, costly repair, and strife from entering the safe
harbor of your family’s cozy home.
Types of Chimneys
The first step in finding yourself a chimney cap is determining what type of
chimney your house has. This will determine what type of chimney cap will fit
best. The most common type of chimney is a masonry chimney, which is constructed
of brick, stone, or concrete. Metal Chimneys or factory-built chimneys are
mass-produced, typically come with a pre-fit chimney cap, and must be used with
one, due to the fact that metal is less resilient in relation to Mother Nature’s
elements. Typically, for masonry chimneys, you’ll find that their corresponding
chimney caps come in three basic sizes: 8" x 8", 8" x 12" and 12" x 12", though
custom styles and fits are available also.
Types of Flues
Whether you have a masonry or factory-made metal chimney, it is also necessary
to determine what type of flue it works from. This can be determined by simply
looking down into your chimney’s depths.
Masonry chimneys will have either single or multi flues, and these flues will be
either extended or not. The most common is the single flue chimney with an
extended flue. This flue will simply and visibly extend out the top of your
chimney, allowing easy chimney cap installation and fit by screws which tighten
to the flue’s construction. Single flue chimneys without extended flues have a
recessed interior flue construction and will require what is called a leg kit or
bracket to for installation of your chimney cap. The decision about whether you
enlist a leg kit or brackets is yours, but brackets are recommended as they
provide more resiliency under varying wind and weather conditions. Multi flue
chimneys with or without extended flues will, as the type suggests, have more
than one flue (typically two) either protruding from your chimney top or
recessed in its interior.
Factory-produced Metal Chimney will have one of three basic types of flue
construction: double-wall solid-pack insulated chimney pipe, double-wall
air-insulated chimney pipe, or triple-wall air-insulated chimney pipe. Looking
down into the chimney, you’ll see either two or three layers or walls of metal.
If there is a metal cap or insulation material between these layers, you have
yourself a solid-pack insulated flue system. If there is nothing but air between
your flue walls, it is an air-insulated flue system.
Measuring
After determining what type of chimney and what type of flue you have, the next
step is measurement of the flue system. Whether single or multi, extended or
recessed, you will almost always need to know the precise width and length
dimensions in order to accurately fit your chimney for a cap. Take the
measurements a couple times to ensure accuracy, because being just a fraction of
a size off, will negate all the purposes you’ve enlisted your chimney cap to
demonstrate.
Masonry Chimneys:
· For a single flue with an extended flue: measure the width and length of the
outside parameters of the flue, and match these to a specific chimney cap size.
· For a single flue without an extended flue: measure the width and length of
the inside parameters of the flue, match to a specific chimney cap size, and
order the corresponding leg kit or brackets.
· For multi flue systems with or without extended flues: measure the total
outside width and length of the combined flues. If your multi-flue system has
one or more extended flues, you must next measure how far the highest flue
extends out the top of the chimney. It is crucial when choosing a cap for these
systems that you depend upon the measurements of your total flue system, as well
as the flues’ height measurements to see how deep your chimney cap should be.
Factory-made Metal Chimneys:
· For a double-wall solid-pack insulated flue system: measure the diameter of
the inner pipe. Then, measure the diameter of the outer pipe. The inner
dimensions will be used to secure the proper fit, while the outer dimensions
will give a wider secondary cap protection for your flue.
· For a double or triple-wall air insulated flue system: measure the diameter of
the inner pipe. Then, measure the diameter of the outer pipe. The inner
dimensions will be used to secure the proper fit, while the outer dimensions
will give a wider secondary cap protection for your flue.
Materials
Chimney caps come in a variety of materials depending on your aesthetic,
function, and cost preferences. Galvanized metal flue caps are the most
cost-effective and simple choice; but provide basic function without regard to
aesthetics, will rust, and won’t last past the short-term. Stainless steel
chimney cap construction is more middle-of-the-road cost-wise, and subsequently
offers a more gratifying visual appeal, and will last much longer through
varying elements and time. Copper chimney caps are the most expensive choice,
but because of this offer: a hard-enduring quality, can be weathered naturally
or coated with a special copper protectant to maintain the original color and
shine. Stainless steel and copper constructed chimney caps do, more often than
not, come with an extended warranty; and are the best way to go in the way of
your chimney’s longetivity and your home and family’s safety.
Chimney Cap Types
Chimney caps also come in a variety of functions according to your cap
preferences. There is the standard chimney cap which typically includes a
screening material to further ward off elements and critters, is the most
cost-effective, comes in a variety of materials, and takes care of your most
basic chimney needs as far as insulation and protection is concerned. Draft
increasing caps or vacuum chimney caps are more specific to a chimney that has
difficulty, for one reason or another, drafting smoke up and out of your home.
These chimney caps produce a stronger updraft, and are most often used with
metal chimneys, though those with masonry chimneys can employ specific
manufacturer adapters. There are two different options to cure this common
chimney affliction. You can either employ what is called a flue stretcher which
will extend the length of your flue and remove it from the influence of nearby
or dual chimneys. This is a great option if you live in a dense city or have
multi-floor fireplaces. Another option is a device which will decrease the
downdraft by deflecting it within special cap fins, and subsequently suck
excessive smoke out of your chimney. You may opt for a cap with an integral
damper mechanism to replace a missing or loose-fitting damper system in your
chimney. This type of chimney cap, once in place, will cap the previously wasted
energy, restore the necessary damper functions, and insulate your home from the
elements. Most come complete with a lever you’ll need to install on your
fireplace wall, which activates effective use of the damper. Typically, those
with older fireplaces will enlist these dual-purpose caps to gently restore an
older fireplace.
For more information
on and examples of Chimney Caps, please visit:
http://www.northlineexpress.com/chimney-caps.asp
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