Most homeowners may not realize it, but chimney caps are actually an essential part of your roof and chimney system. There are lots of reasons for using chimney caps, and that’s why they are pretty common. Whether your chimney doesn’t have a cap or the cap needs to be replaced, it’s a good idea to learn about the reasons behind its existence.
Chimney Caps Block the Entry
Chimneys are popular places for animals to build nests in and generally feel at home. That’s because it’s warm and weatherproof. People who don’t use their fireplace or chimney may be surprised to hear birds cheeping or mice squeaking at all hours of the day, but this is a very common problem to have when there is no chimney cap.
When you think about how much effort is involved in removing animals from your chimney and cleaning up after them, it’s a better idea to prevent them from coming inside in the first place. A chimney cap does the job expertly. But animals aren’t the only things that will come down the chimney.
A chimney cap can also be used to prevent falling leaves and branches from entering the chimney. While branches and leaves don’t destroy the chimney, they still have to be cleaned out before the fireplace is truly usable.
They Stop Drafts Both Ways
When it’s windy outside, an unprotected chimney can lead to drafts inside of your home. It will be much colder around the fireplace while it’s not in use than in other areas of your house. But the draft can be really problematic when you have a fire going.
If the wind blows down into the chimney just the right way, then the smoke from your fire will blow into the rest of your house instead of up the chimney. This is extremely unpleasant in a best-case scenario and downright dangerous at its worst. Fortunately, installing a chimney cap can easily prevent this.
A chimney cap also stops the fire in your fireplace from spreading to your roof. Under the right circumstances, sparks and lit embers can travel all the way up the chimney and set fire to your roof. With a chimney cap in place, this is completely preventable. In fact, chimney caps are also known as spark arrestors for this life-saving benefit.
Chimney Stops Reduce Moisture
The exterior of your chimney is built to withstand the elements in your region. However, the inside of your chimney is susceptible to moisture. Without the protection of a chimney cap, rainwater will run down your chimney. This can even damage steel liners over time as the water pools inside of your chimney.
Having water inside of your home causes additional problems because you may end up with mold or mildew. Both are very damaging to your health and the health of your loved ones.
There are plenty of reasons to install chimney caps in Alpharetta, GA. Their usefulness offsets the initial cost and hassle by far. If you don’t install a functioning chimney cap, then you’ll probably have to spend a lot more money down the road on damage repair caused by water and animals.