Our Process
Top damper installation in Sanlando Springs, in detail
Screens that pair with a top damper
Some top dampers are paired with a screened cap. If that cap doubles as a spark arrestor on a masonry chimney, Florida's residential code, in R1003.9.2, sets its free area at four or more times the flue outlet and keeps any sphere over 1/2 inch from passing through the mesh.
A screen also keeps birds and larger debris out while the lid is open. Our team matches the screen and cap to the damper and the flue on your Sanlando Springs chimney, so the parts work together and the lid can still open fully.
A mounting ring for later service
Some makers offer a ring that sits in the adhesive and takes the damper's screws. In the Lock-Top instructions this option is the Sweep's Ring, sold on its own, and it lets the damper frame fasten to the ring rather than being glued straight to the tile.
Whether your Sanlando Springs chimney needs one depends on the flue top and how the chimney will be serviced in future. Our team explains the choice and lists the ring on the estimate only if we recommend it.
Using the damper with a wood fire
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's advice is to open the damper before the fire is lit, keep it open until the ashes have cooled, and never shut it at bedtime over warm ashes. The smoke and gases from the fire need that open flue to leave the house.
With a top damper the rule is the same, only the handle is in a different place. Our team shows you how to confirm the damper on your Sanlando Springs chimney is open before you light a fire, and how to leave it open overnight while the ashes cool.
Top dampers and storm season
The chimney top takes the full force of any wind, and the Atlantic hurricane season brings plenty of it from June 1 to November 30. A top damper's hold on the flue depends on the adhesive and the surface beneath it, which is why a sound flue top and a full set time matter.
After a storm passes over your Sanlando Springs home, look up at the chimney from the ground. A lid standing at an odd angle or a cable that suddenly feels loose is a reason to leave the fireplace unused and have our team check the damper.
