Chimney Cap Installation in Mentor, Ohio

What does a chimney cap do?

• Keeps rain and snow out of the flue. Water inside a chimney damages the liner, the damper and the firebox, and in freeze-thaw it breaks masonry from the inside.
• Keeps animals out. Birds, squirrels and raccoons nest in open flues constantly, and a nest is both a blockage and a fire hazard.
• Stops embers leaving — the mesh acts as a spark arrestor.
• Reduces downdraft in wind, which is often the reason a room smells of smoke.

What kind of cap should go on?

Stainless steel, in nearly every case. Galvanised is cheaper and rusts out in a few winters, which stains the masonry on the way. Copper is excellent and costs more.

Sizing matters as much as material: the cap must clear the flue by enough to avoid restricting draft, and the mesh has to be fine enough to stop animals without blinding over with creosote. Multi-flue chimneys usually want a single full-coverage cap rather than separate ones.

Signs you need a cap or a new one

Water stains on the wall around the fireplace, a damp or musty smell in the firebox, rust on the damper, animal noise in the chimney, or a rusted-through cap visible from the ground. Mentor sits in the Lake County snowbelt. Headlands-area homes take the full lake-effect band and see ice at the eave most winters.

We inspect it as part of any chimney flashing visit — see chimney flashing and repair in Mentor.

Chimney caps near Mentor

Free assessment of the flue and crown while we are up there. Call (330) 918-1018.

Other services in Mentor, OH

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Chimney Cap Installation in Mentor — common questions