Our Process
How we replace a chase cover in Cameron City
The small gap that must stay open
The narrow ring of air between the pipe and the cover collar looks like an oversight, but it is deliberate. In the Majestic manual that ring is set at 1/8 inch around the flue pipe, and the manual warns that caulking the pipe to the collar of the chase top creates a fire risk.
Water is kept out of that gap by the storm collar above it. If an earlier repair on your Cameron City home filled the gap with sealant, our team removes it and restores the arrangement the instructions describe. It is one of the details that separate a cover built to the instructions from a generic lid, and we point it out when we show you the finished work.
Sealing the storm collar where the instructions say
The storm collar is the metal band that wraps the pipe just above the cover collar and sheds water over the gap. In the Majestic manual, the gap between storm collar and pipe and the gap between storm collar and chase top are both caulked, and installers are warned to leave the cap's air holes open. Positioned correctly, it works like a small umbrella over the gap.
When we replace a cover, the storm collar is refitted or replaced and sealed only at those points. A collar that has slid down the pipe or split along its seam is one of the first things our specialists look for during the free inspection.
Where the cover skirt meets the siding
The turndown of a chase cover laps over the top edge of the wall covering, whether that is lap siding, panels or a stucco finish. That junction decides whether water leaving the drip edge falls away or finds a path behind the siding. Stucco needs particular care at that edge, since a crack there lets water behind the finish.
When we measure for the replacement, we note the siding type and its condition at the top course. Cracked trim, open joints or failed stucco at that line are pointed out during the free inspection, so the new cover never goes on over a leak it cannot stop.
A look inside the chase while the top is open
With the cover off, the top of the chase is open for a short time, and it is worth looking down. The Majestic manual requires 2 inches of clearance between the chimney and combustibles or building insulation, and nothing should be packed against the pipe.
We note what is visible from the top, such as loose insulation, nesting material or debris near the pipe. Anything that needs framing work or a separate repair goes on the estimate as its own line, so you decide on it with full information. It is a short look, and it often tells us more about how long the old cover leaked than anything visible from the ground.
