Our Process

Chase cover work on Chuluota homes

Galvanized or stainless steel for the new cover

A zinc coating is what protects galvanized steel. According to the American Galvanizers Association, temperature, humidity, rainfall, sulfur dioxide and air salinity decide how quickly that coating is used up, and once it is gone the steel beneath begins to rust.

Stainless steel does not depend on a coating and costs more to buy. Our team prices both metals side by side for your Chuluota home, so the choice is made with the real difference in front of you. Whichever metal you choose, the cover still needs slope, a raised collar and a drip edge, and our specialists explain how each metal is expected to age on a well-drained top.

Before and after hurricane season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. A chase cover with rusted fasteners or a lifted corner is the kind of part strong wind can peel back, leaving the enclosure open to the rain that follows.

Booking the free inspection in spring leaves time to fabricate and fit a new top before the season. After a storm, our 24/7 emergency line takes calls about a chase cover that has lifted or blown off a home in Chuluota.

How the new cover is fastened

Screws driven straight down through the flat top put holes in the one place water sits. A replacement cover is fastened through the turndown into the sides of the chase, where water runs past the fasteners instead of standing on them.

We use fasteners suited to the cover metal and seal their heads where the design calls for it. In Chuluota, the fastener layout is part of what we explain at the end of the job. Rusted screws are one way old covers come loose in strong wind, so the fastener layout gets as much attention as the metal.

Decorative shrouds and what the code allows

Some homeowners ask for a decorative shroud on top of the chase while the cover is being replaced. Under the Florida Building Code, a shroud can go on top of a factory-built chimney only if it is listed and labeled for that exact chimney system.

If a listed shroud exists for the pipe on your roof, we can discuss it and price it. If none exists, we explain why an unlisted shroud cannot go on, and fit the new cover with the correct cap instead. Our specialists will never add a shroud to make a chase look finished when it carries no listing for that pipe.