Chimney Cap Installation & Repair
Professional Installers in New Jersey
Do I need a Chimney Cap, Cover, or Crown?
Yes! If you have an active chimney, you need the protection of a chimney cap, cover, or crown.
Chimney Caps Keep Out Critters, Rain, Debris
A chimney cap offers protection against all types of things, including animals (such as birds, squirrels, and raccoons), rain, and debris. Without a cap on your chimney, you may discover wild animals nesting inside your chimney, which causes problems for you and the animals.
If rain, snow, hail, or other moisture is allowed to enter your chimney, severe damage could result. You may experience cracked or spall bricks, mold growth, or damaged joints.
Chimney Chase Covers and Crowns
Chase covers and crowns are both used to seal the top of your chimney from the flue liner to the outer edge of the chimney and repel water away from the chimney walls. These essential elements are barely noticeable from the ground, but can cause terrible damage if left unchecked. If you experience water damage, rust stains, loose masonry, or critters in your chimney, you may need to repair or install a chase cover or crown.
Chase cover: A metal cover, often used on factory-built or prefabricated chimneys. Chase covers are typically replaced when damaged.
Crown: A concrete or cement-based cover used on masonry chimneys. Crowns can usually be repaired unless the damage is too severe.
Chimney Chase Cover Installation
How do you know if you need a new chimney chase cover? Your first sign will be rust stains streaking down the side of your chimney and onto the roof. If you can see rust on the sides of the chase cover from ground level, chances are the top of the cover is already destroyed.
Once a chase cover fails, it allows water to get inside the chase and soak into wood or even drywall. This problem is commonly misdiagnosed as a leaky flashing or roof. Chase cover repairs are expensive and can compromise the integrity of the piece. We recommend replacing your cover if it’s damaged.
Replacement Chase Covers
A proper chase cover should be elevated at the center to shed water away from the flue. Its skirt should have a drip edge to guide the water off and away from the chimney walls.
We can replace your existing chase cover with three different choices:
- Stainless Steel (lifetime warranty)
- Galvanized (5yr warranty)
- Copper (lifetime warranty)
When you call, we’ll discuss all of your options to determine the best choice for your home.
Chimney Crown Repair and Installation
How do you know if your chimney crown is damaged? The first signs of a faulty chimney crown are loose masonry and/or mold growth on the walls of the chimney. A cracked or deteriorated crown allows water into the chimney. As the water expands, it can break apart brick and mortar causing more extensive damage and even possible leaks into your home. Depending on the severity of the damage, your crown can be repaired or replaced.
Chimney Crown Repair
If your chimney crown is slightly cracked or deteriorated, we may be able to save it. First, we’ll remove any loose debris and mold to allow a strong bond between the repair materials and the existing crown. Once the surface is completely clean, we’ll fill the cracks and coat the surface with a flexible sealant that adjusts through the freeze and thaw cycle without cracking.
Chimney Crown Installation
A proper crown sheds water off the chimney and down onto the roof. It’s also thick enough not to crack and recede away from the edge of the brick, and has a bond around the flue tile for expansion. There are a few options to properly install a chimney crown, but our most popular is Doctor Flue’s “Floating Concrete Crown.”