Chimney Cap Service in Portland, OR
Chimney Cap Service in Aloha, Beaverton, Salem & The Portland Metro Area
What Is a Chimney Cap?
Have you ever driven through a
Portland, OR, neighborhood and, while looking at the chimneys, seen one with a little hat on top of it and wondered why? Maybe it even looked nice and made you think about having one of your own. Chimney caps are little structures or attachments at the tops of chimneys that serve a variety of purposes besides just being decorative. They also come with several options depending on your chimney type, which we’ll touch on later on this page. Any homeowner with an active chimney should consider a chimney cap. At Five Star Chimney Repair, our chimney professionals work with chimney caps on a regular basis.
How Important Is a Chimney Cap?
Having a chimney increases the value of your Portland, OR, home, and everyone likes a nice-looking brick facade to accent their home. Nice brickwork, detailed tuckpointing, and clean edges are all things that draw the eye when considering a chimney—but the cap is important too. You don’t want something shoddy or poorly crafted at the peak of your home. Aesthetics are something to think about, even with something as simple as a mesh or brick chimney cap. Think of the cap as the star on a Christmas tree. It draws the eye, so why not choose something that stands out a bit? The wrong kind of chimney cap can invite disaster. When a fire is burning in the hearth, embers and sparks can travel up the chimney and escape. This is a fire risk to your roof and yard, as well as your neighborhood, which a chimney cap could prevent. A mesh small enough to prevent these embers from escaping is crucial for a cap. However, you don’t want the mesh to be too small, since inclement weather can also affect it. Snow and ice can pack into the mesh and cause a backflow of smoke into the house.
A chimney cap is also important for keeping rain out and preventing water damage to the mortar or rust to metal chimneys or liners. An uncapped chimney doesn’t just pose an issue to the home—it’s also an appealing spot for small animals looking for a place to nest, such as birds, squirrels, or even the occasional brave raccoon. Not only is this another potential issue for chimney obstructions and smoke buildup, but it’s also a health concern for both your family and the animals. Moisture buildup and animal droppings can increase the risk of mold or disease. Not to mention, the smoke and embers from the fireplace can harm unwelcome, furry visitors. This means it’s best to prevent them from nesting in the first place, if possible.
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Choosing the Right Chimney Cap
Chimney capping may seem relatively easy, but the biggest step is knowing your type of chimney. Do you have a single flue or multiple? What shape is the flue? Round, oval, rectangle, square? Is it extended or angled? Different shapes need different considerations. For example, caps can be bolted or clamped on, but round ones can also have an insert design. If the chimney is round and not extended, a cap can simply be bought and inserted into the top of it. If you have multiple flues, the most common setup is a top-mounted cap attached with screws or adhesive, though these are effective with single flues as well. Round caps can easily fit round metal chimneys, while brick may include a metal liner. Be mindful of building codes as well: different cities may require different mesh sizes. The most common is ¾ or ⅝ inches, but it should be looked up ahead of time to be sure.
This is all to say that there are things to consider when evaluating a chimney cap. The wrong cap can impact the chimney’s effectiveness or even damage it in the long run. When settling on your design, you want to be aware of these issues to ensure the right fit for the chimney. Most caps are made from aluminum, galvanized stainless steel, or copper, so the right one will depend on your preferences and budget. If you’re concerned with potential repair or replacement issues, remember that most caps come with warranties when professionally installed, which are often voided through DIY work.
Types of Chimney Caps
The number of different types of chimney caps might come as a surprise to most. The biggest determining factor in selecting a cap is what sort of chimney you have. Certain designs won’t be available on every type of chimney, so knowing what you have to work with is important.
This is especially true in cities with bigger weather concerns, such as the Portland area, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Gresham, where high wind and rain can be a major concern. It’s critical to select something durable and watertight, and there are several options, ranging from a basic metal mesh cap in copper or steel (stainless or galvanized) to a brick cap to match the chimney. Brick caps can often include a metal lining and a mesh to keep animals or debris out as well. Stainless steel is the most durable for a metal chimney cap, though it is usually a little more expensive. Galvanized steel is cheaper but won’t last as long. Aluminum caps are standard, and, while not very durable, are a little more resistant to weather erosion than galvanized steel. Copper is a common choice too, as it can sometimes have a great cosmetic effect on the aesthetics of some homes. Copper is fairly durable and tends to be a more expensive option. Many metal caps are square for simplicity or sometimes round and air insulated (double thick wall or mesh) to reduce wind backdrafts in the chimney. Brick caps have the advantage of being custom designed to match your chimney and your Portland, OR, home, but these are usually custom jobs tailored to the individual. Depending on how the design work is done, they often include a metal piece, which should be discussed with our Five Star Chimney Repair professionals when evaluating the scope of the work.
When to Call the Professionals (Us!)
If any of this seems confusing or overwhelming, feel free to give us a call! We’re always happy to help with any questions or concerns, offer consults, and plan out the best possible chimney cap for your needs! Get all the warm ambiance of a regular fireplace with only half the energy cost when you get a fireplace insert from Five Star Chimney Repair. We specialize in providing high-quality fireplace inserts that’ll upgrade your old, inefficient wood fireplace with a new high-efficiency gas, wood, or propane fireplace that produces more heat while using less fuel.
Fireplace inserts are boxes made from iron or steel that fit inside your existing chimney. They have a variety of benefits, including adding a rustic yet stylish look to your fireplace. They also burn hotter than open fireplaces, increasing energy efficiency and saving money on heating your Portland, OR, home.
When you choose to work with Five Star Chimney Repair for all your fireplace needs, you can rest assured you receive top-of-the-line products and high-quality work. We are an owner-operated company, so the owner is on-site at every job to ensure we provide you with the best fireplace insert based on your needs.
We also have a price-match guarantee and offer 2-year, 10-year, and 25-year warranties!
With the fireplace inserts we offer at Five Star Chimney Repair, you can turn your old, inefficient fireplace into something that looks better and is more energy efficient.
