Chimney Cap Replacement

James Neill Roofing & Waterproofing Contractors offers Chimney Cap replacement Inspection and repair in Jacksonville Florida for the following zip codes 32235, 32224, 32225, 32235, 32246, 32211, 32277, 32266, 32216, 32233, 32250, 32082

The question begs to answered, is it a good idea for homeowners to plan, require or need to have their chimney cap inspected every couple of years or so ? so as to determine if it is in good shape and functioning as intended. Most residential homes have a fireplace and of course this is accompanied by a chimney which can be seen by going outside and looking at the roof and that big thing, usually square in shape sticking up from the roof, is of course the chimney.

The chimney components are numerous, starting with the interior Fireplace, or fire-box, next there is an internal vent referred to as a the Flue pipe, it typically comes from the fireplace inside the home, it is routed through the interior of the Chimney Chase structure through the attic, exiting through the top of the Chimney or a combination of outside wall or the roof.

Again, the description of the chimney structure is usually referred to as the Chase, and is typically made of wood frame construction, in modern homes and may have either siding or stucco or brick veneer on contemporary homes and typically steel air vented flue pipe.

Older homes the chimney chase may be constructed of brick or block and possibly of wood frame construction with a clay or steel flue pipe above the chimney chase no matter the era constructed it should always be terminated with a chimney cap.

CHIMNEY CAP FUNCTION

So what function does the chimney cap perform as the final piece that terminates the chimney chase structure ? Certainly if there were no chimney cap present there would be many problems that can arise either slowly over time, or as often is the case with most things, abruptly and without warning.

For an illustration just consider how many animals use the roof to get from point A to B, man it is a super highway up there for those critters to take advantage of,and most homeowners never give a single thought to the chimney cap until one day an uninvited visitor arrives via the flue pipe entering through the opening at the top of the chimney chase structure.

What types of visitors might be encountered by not having a functioning chimney cap in place ? start with the most common that would be birds we have all seen a flying creature perched atop a roof and the higher the better and of course the chimney is a perfect perch and without that chimney cap in place and that warm and inviting opening just sitting there for the taking, birds will often build a nest inside the Flue when there is not a chimney cap in place.

This is especially a problem when the chimney is never used and the chimney cap which is damaged or missing is undetected is much more common than one would think as using the fireplace and building a fire the work it entails is just not worth for some still occasionally one decides to build a fire lights up the carefully prepared stack of combustible elements and suddenly an immediate problem presents itself,smoke is pouring into the house which can damage an interior very quickly and be hard to get the lingering smell out of the home, as fireplace smoke, or soot, has a clinging to affect to just about anything that can absorb odors, much like cigarettes for example, except it is far worse, because when this happens the volume of smoke can be tremendous, additional scenario’s presented by the absence of the chimney cap, it can become fire hazard, especially if the Flue pipe vent is clogged with organic material an animal uses to build their nests, it is highly combustible, a functioning chimney cap would have certainly prevented something such as this from happening in the first place.

Other unwanted guests who would love to visit the inside of a nice cozy home are as follows, a Racoon is the ultimate opportunistic invader give them an opening be it a damaged or missing chimney cap or a weak spot on the roof providing access to the attic they will make a way in you can count on it, and of course they bring their extended family members as well. Another equally clever critter are rats, and the smell of those chocolate cookies wafting up the flue pipe is just to hard to resist, plus it is just plain to cold or hot outside and this looks like the Hilton hotel all of a sudden to them and in Florida one might be astonished to find snakes or lizards as they are great climbers although not common the absence of the chimney cap presents a way in for all who dare.

Other issues of concern and examples are older homes with a chase structure built of brick and mortar only as moisture draining down a flue due to a missing chimney cap can set in motion some expensive damages to the concrete mortar sets between the bricks, the mortar absorbs water because it is porous it expands because it never dries then it can swell or freeze in winter and begins to fall apart and there is a major renovation project at hand, in any scenario water entering through the top of a chimney is very undesirable. Other problems that occur as a result of a missing chimney cap that are of note is the tree’s above produce leaves have branches some have large seed vehicles like pine cones and these items can become lodged in the flue opening and completely or partially block it from exhausting.

To recap be it modern construction or from a long ago era the flue needs a chimney cap to be protected from all the outside elements than can affect the function of the chimney as a whole and possibly save on very costly repairs and prevent sparks leaving flue from causing a fire both on the roof and at ground level. Certainly any responsible property owner regardless if they use their fireplace or not wants to protect the most valuable of assets namely their home and provide a safe secure habitat to live in and enjoy so be sure to every now and then just take a look up top or have a professional do this if elevation is a problem to make sure all is as it should be with the chimney cap.

Chimney cap and other components

A lot can be said or discussed about a chimney cap and it’s importance to the chimney chase structure as part of any home that has one. The most frequent part of any home to fail or have problems is the chimney  and the chimney cap is usually one of the first components to fail why is this component so neglected. When a new roof is installed certainly the chimney cap and chimney chase structure is not overlooked as part of the overall upgrade of the roofing system right ? The answer is wrong and a primary reason for this just like the roof itself most homeowners will not ever have an issue with a chimney until it blatantly presents itself hence the above paragraph, so it is neglected both by the property owner and in the case of a roof replacement experience proves more than a few roofing contractors just do want to fuss with it, just put the new roof on and it’s on to the next job never even mentioning if problems with a chimney cap or other area’s of the chimney are clearly noticeable.

Why is this ? and again, to be fair, certainly not all roofing contractors would just ignore such an obvious thing, such as a missing chimney cap, for example, but a sizable significant number of companies do, this writer suggests the reason for an obvious oversight could be, that they just do not want the extra work involved to properly address the Chimney as part of a roof replacement project, as it can cause the loss of an accepted bid, due to the extra cost and labor to include this extra option within a roof replacement bid, to be fair, some, but not all, just do even not mention it because, just easier it complicates the sales process, while bidding a roofing project, as most property, owners never access the top of their roof and this probably a good idea, it can be dangerous for the novice to attempt it, so it just gets left out of the conversation altogether.

Besides the terminating part referred to as the chimney cap there are many more parts to a chimney all serve a function and should be evaluated by a professional every 2-5 years unless something is discovered and prompts the search for a roof chimney service provider. Briefly to conclude other components of the chimney besides the chimney cap are as follows, Chimney chase cap usually square in shape and is situated below the chimney cap  are made of metal but also on much older homes can be made of concrete(mortar) additionally the exterior has several methods of protection most common are stucco,siding or brick veneer.

At the base of chimney where it joins the roof structure a flashing system wraps the base of the chase where it exits through the roof and is by most building codes required to have a saddle which is also sometimes referred to as cricket behind the chimney up slope to carry moisture around the base of the chimney and down the roof, basically it is a small gable with a couple of valleys and is crucially important to proper flow of water around the base of the chimney.

So in a nutshell that covers the upper part of the chimney chase and the chimney cap lets move on to the flue pipe it is typically routed through the attic space in modern homes is usually made of metal and round in shape and with no exterior layers inside the attic the flue is essential to exhausting a fireplace and protection from fire in the attic cavity. Lastly it is important to mention the interior cleanliness of the flue pipe, and fire-box, both should be cleaned periodically to prevent buildup inside the flue pipe which can, and has caused many fires, a professional chimney sweep can assist with this. Hopefully this has been educational and informative pointing out there is a lot more to a chimney than just the chimney cap.

Chimney cap and Chimney repair

James Neill is a Florida state roofing contractor who has more than 36 years of experience in the roofing services industry. Frequently James Neill Roofing is contracted to replace the chimney cap on structures residential homes in the Jacksonville Florida metro area. In addition to chimney cap replacement James Neill roofing performs all phases of exterior repair to chimney systems some examples

• Chimney cap replacement
• Custom fabricated chimney chase cap
• Chimney roof repair leaks
• Chimney flashing removal and replacement
• Chimney chase siding removal and replacement
• Chimney wind band fabrication and installation
• Concrete chase cap refurbishment
• Chimney cap and roof inspection
• Chimney saddle installation

James Neill performs all manner of external leak issues and repairs to chimneys and services related to the chimney cap. Frequently issues have arisen in the process of repairing a chimney that only a qualified chimney sweep company can address and in these cases James Neill defers to his company of choice and that is “A Clean Sweep” chimney sweep and repair service that serves the northeast Florida area. A Clean Sweep is a certified CSIA company and are fully licensed and insured also they are experts with dryer vent cleaning and have the equipment and no how are very reputable and established their contact info is (904) 379-3510 in St Augustine Florida (904)826-0567

Should the need arise and the need for a qualified experienced chimney repair specialist be in the cards and the building is located in the 32235, 32224, 32225, and 32246 area’s of Jacksonville Florida, professional advice and service are just a phone call away. James Neill roofing contractors can be reached at (904)221-5981 James Neill and will personally evaluate the problem and will provide a written estimate for chimney repair or chimney cap replacement at an affordable rate. Professional and reputable consider James Neill roofing for all types of chimney repair and replacement of any style or type of chimney cap.