Chimney Services

Getting the chimney cap right in Markham

Chimney caps in Markham replaced by our family-owned team after a free look at the flue top.

Fasten the cap for storm season

Hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June 1 through November 30, and wind from a passing storm pulls hardest at the edges of a cap lid. Loose bolts, cracked adhesive and screws set in soft mortar are what let a cap lift off.

We tighten and test every fastener, check the lid brackets and look for movement before we leave the roof. If you have an older cap you are unsure about, ask us to look at it at the start of the season instead of after the first storm.

Lid height and a steady draft

A cap changes how exhaust leaves the chimney. The Brick Industry Association notes that the effect of a manufactured rain cap on the flow through a chimney should come from its maker. That is why lid height and style come from the product data and are never set by eye.

If your fireplace already drafts poorly, a new cap is not assumed to fix it. We look at the flue size, the chimney height and the fireplace opening, then tell you what a cap can change and what it cannot.

The crown the new cap sits on

Every cap depends on the masonry around it. For masonry chimneys, Florida's code asks for a sloped top of concrete, stone or metal that sheds rain, ends in a drip at its edge and is kept separate from each flue liner by a caulked joint so the two can move. The code calls it a cap too, while the trade calls it the crown.

A cracked or crumbling crown loosens fasteners and lets water in beside the flue even with a perfect cap above it. We check the crown at the same visit and price any crown repair on its own line.

Sweep the flue before the cap goes on

A cap closes the top of the flue to outside debris, so it makes sense for the flue to be clean when it goes on. Soot and creosote also collect on cap screens, and a flue that has not been swept can clog a new screen quickly.

The national standard, NFPA 211, calls for a yearly inspection of chimneys, fireplaces and vents. If your flue is due, sweeping and cap fitting can happen on one visit, each priced on its own.