That tiny, black roof over your chimney? It’s not just decorative, it’s actually a vital part of your home’s fire safety system. Called a chimney cap, it’s an important part of your chimney and helps protect it from damage, debris, water, animals, and more. Here’s a quick look at what a chimney cap is and how a chimney cap installation protects your New Braunfels home from fire.
Chimney Caps: Why They’re Vital to Fire Safety
Though they’re designed to look nice, chimney caps provide several features to protect your home. To start, the small roof prevents excessive water from entering your chimney. Excess water can cause not only the metal parts of your system to rust or corrode, but it can also cause freeze and thaw damage to your bricks and mortar. This can cause the stability of your entire chimney to fail, requiring extensive repair or replacement work.
It can be hard to see from the ground, but below this little roof is a heavy screen. This screen keeps smoke moving out while catching any sparks that have come up the chimney. This can keep you from experiencing a fire on your roof, in leaves and other debris, or in your yard, which could then spread to your home. However, that’s not the only task that this screen takes on, because it also keeps some important things out.
The screen also prevents things from entering your chimney, specifically small animals including birds, squirrels, and even raccoons. Though these animals will sometimes get into a chimney while fleeing from a larger predator, it’s more often that they think they can make a cozy nest there during the off season, not realizing that the leaves, twigs, and other matter they bring into your chimney can cause a fire, along with draft problems and excessive smoke in the house.
By understanding the importance of your home’s chimney cap, you can ensure that it’s in the proper position and working properly. If you need help because of an issue with your chimney cap or other chimney concern, the experienced professionals at Wolfman Chimney & Fireplace in New Braunfels offer chimney cap installation and replacement services. Please feel free to contact our friendly team today with any questions, for more information, or to schedule a consultation.
Reach us online, send us a text, or call us at 830-620-4335 today!