What's Included

How a top damper is installed in Altamonte Springs

Where the code lets a damper sit

Section R1001.7.1 of the Florida Building Code, Residential says masonry fireplaces shall be equipped with a ferrous metal damper, and that dampers shall be installed in the fireplace or the chimney venting the fireplace and be operable from the room containing the fireplace.

A top sealing damper closes the chimney itself, and the cable and handle inside the firebox keep it operable from the room. Our installers mount the bracket where you can reach it easily in your Altamonte Springs fireplace. The product's own instructions and the fireplace in front of us decide the rest.

Rain protection while the damper is open

Not every top damper is a rain cap. The Lyemance listing points out that its original damper does not extend above the flue and offers no rain protection when the damper is open, and it sells an optional cap with a screen for that purpose. Other designs build a cap into the damper.

Where a rain cap is installed, Florida's residential code (section R1003.9.3) wants the net free area beneath it to be four times the flue outlet's net free area or more. For your Altamonte Springs chimney we explain whether the proposed damper covers the flue when open and price a cap separately if it does not.

Keeping insects and debris out of the flue

A closed top damper shuts the flue at the top, and the Lyemance listing names insects among what its gasketed seal keeps out. That helps between fires, when an open flue can collect nests, leaves and whatever the wind drops into it.

When the damper is open for a fire, the flue is open too unless a screened cap covers it. Our team clears debris from the top of your Altamonte Springs chimney before the damper goes on and recommends a screened cap where the damper design leaves the flue uncovered.

What the damper estimate includes

The written estimate for a top damper on your Altamonte Springs chimney lists the damper model and size, the cable, handle and bracket, any mounting ring, any cap or screen and any repair the flue top or crown needs before installation, each on its own line.

The inspection behind it is free, the price is upfront with no hidden fees, and if you book within 72 hours of the free inspection, 10% comes off the work. Our family-owned team keeps the choices clear, so you can approve the damper and plan other repairs separately.