Chimney Caps: Picking one that is right for your chimney

Chimney Caps: 

Multi-Flue Entire Crown, Single Flue and Vacu-Stack

Chimney Caps:
  Highly recommended for all chimneys! Water is one of a home’s worst enemies.  A chimney is part of the home, so water is also a danger to that as well.  A chimney cap stops water from entering the chimney liner or flue by directing it away from the center and off the sides of a chimney.  If that water were to get into the chimney liner or flue, it could cause the rapid deterioration of the chimney and cause more problems that you would want to deal with.

  Also, We live in a place with a lot of trees nearby, you have seen what happens when those trees shake their leave from their branches in autumn.  You have probably been outside on a cold day raking those leaves out of your yard.  Imagine those leaves inside of your chimney.  Imagine sticks falling from tree that hover above your chimney or a random piece of litter that is blowing by on a windy day getting into your chimney.  The chimney has suddenly become a giant trash can.  Granted, most chimneys will not experience such heavy build up of debris.  However, it does not take much to start a chimney fire or hinder the draft of your chimney.  A chimney cap, along with the metal grating or mesh that wraps around the outside of it will stop debris such as this from entering your chimney.

  The next good reason is a chimney makes a great place for an animal to build its nest.  It is dark, warm and safe from other predators, save for the adventurous household cat.  The wire mesh or netting that wraps around the outside of the chimney cap will keep these critters out of your chimney.  An animal in your chimney may eventually make its way into your home.  Then, there will be another set of issues to deal with.

   We now know what the chimney cap can keep out of your chimney.  However, there is also something important that it keeps in the chimney as well.  That is, large sparks that make their way up the chimney flue.  These sparks, if hot enough, do have a chance of making it all the way out of the chimney and into a dry patch of grass or that pile of leaves that you worked so hard to rake out of your yard.  If this happens, then a brush fire may be imminent.  The wire mesh around the chimney cap will help keep these sparks contained until they die out.

  The fifth reason that a chimney cap should be installed on your chimney is that it can increase the draft within your chimney.  Regular chimney caps can help increase the draft on their own.  However, there are also draft-enhancing chimney caps that use turbines to increase the draft within a chimney.  Draft is an easily deterred, but critical occurrence to the proper functioning of your chimney.  Without it, in fact, the chimney would be useless.  Since draft is so easily affected, these draft-enhancing chimney caps can help create the draft within the chimney and, sometimes, solve the problems that someone is facing with chimney draft.

  One final reason to add a chimney cap is that it can increase the lifetime of your chimney liner.  Water and debris getting into the chimney liner can cause it to deteriorate, especially in chimneys with clay liners.  By adding a chimney cap, you are increasing the life and effectiveness of your Chimney Liner.

  All of these reasons for having a chimney cap installed on your chimney come together and help increase the overall life of your chimney.  For those worried about cost, basic chimney caps can be found at a pretty fair price.  The draft-enhancing chimney caps can be more costly.  Either way, it is cheaper to add a chimney cap now than to have to repair or replace a chimney liner down the road or hire a pest removal specialist to get the raccoon's out of your chimney.

Check out our entire line of chimney caps at Chimneycaps.net

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Multi-Flue Entire Crown Caps:

Copper Multi-Flue Crown Cap

For Multi-Flue And Entire Chimney Crown Protection

Flue Copper Chimney Caps are for homeowners who not only want to protect their homes, but make them ascetically pleasing as well. This classic Cap design complements the classy look of the copper - which is why this cap is our Top Pick!

The cap's screen mesh is 10" high. A copper plated stainless steel base make this an exceptionally constructed cap, sure to last. Screws are copper plated and guaranteed not to strip.

Designed to cover multiple flues, or for homeowners who have a single flue but want to protect the full chimney crown, the cap mounts directly to the chimney crown using cement fasteners and adhesive which are included with the cap.

This Copper Chimney Cap is the perfect accent for your home's exterior decor.

Lifetime Warranty! Warranted for a lifetime against manufacturing defects and rust. Choose your size below.

Also available in stainless steel

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Single Flue Caps:

Single Flue Cap

For Single Flue Protection

Tristan's Chimney Service Copper Chimney Caps are for homeowners who not only want to protect their homes, but make them ascetically pleasing as well. The classic Tristan's Chimney Service Copper Chimney Cap design complements the classy look of the copper. A 24 gauge lid, 18 gauge copper screen, and copper plated stainless steel base make this an exceptionally constructed cap, sure to last. Screws are copper plated and guaranteed not to strip. This Copper Chimney Cap is the perfect accent for your home's exterior decor.

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Vacu-Stack:

Vacu-Stack With Animal Guard

For Solving Down Draft Problems

is the premier chimney cap for solving common, wind-related draft problems. These problems often occur for homes that have hills, mountains, tall trees or buildings in the vicinity.

How it works: When wind flows around the Vacu-Stack's unique design, wind speeds increase which creates a partial vacuum. This vacuum then pulls flue gases up and out of the chimney, thus preventing wind-induced downdraft and the resulting infiltration of smoke, odor, and flue gas into your home.
  This cap also functions as a conventional chimney cap by protecting the chimney from rain, snow, debris, and animals. It is designed for round chimneys that are not air insulated (also called air-cooled). The Vacu-Stack can also be installed on a square or rectangular chimney using the Masonry Adaptor.

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Visit out chimney cap web site pick a number and Contact us today so your chimney with be critter free and stand up to the high countries harsh elements!

Learning About Chimney Swifts

 Learning About Chimney Swifts 
by Tristan's Chimney service  Contact us by email!.

Tristan's Chimney Service

What is Chirping in My Chimney ?

    If you’ve heard some cheeping coming from your chimney, you probably have been a victim of a Chimney Swift nesting. And while the noises may have vanished with the coming of the cold, the remnants of these nestings and the future hosting job you inevitably have, still lingers behind. Chimney Swifts are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This Federal Law prohibits the removal of any migrating bird without a federal permit. On top of that, due to the nature of migratory birds, if you had a nest in your chimney last year, you can expect the flock to return, to the exact same chimney. Therefore, if your goal is to keep the birds at bay, the problem must be taken care of in the proper manner at the proper time. On the other hand, you may wish to keep these little creatures around. In this article we will discuss how to keep Chimney Swifts away and also how to best handle providing a good home for these birds that is beneficial for you as well as for the Chimney Swifts.

 What Are Chimney Swifts   ?

   The most common migrating birds typically found in the Eastern United States are Chimney Swifts. These birds are unique little creatures. They are often mistaken as bats due to their rapid flight and their likelihood to reside in chimneys. But up close, these birds look very distinct. While they only weigh about an ounce and their body is only about 5 inches long, their wings span approximately 12 inches! Their wings have a unique shape to them, like thin half moons. In addition to their different wing design, unlike other birds, Chimney Swifts are not able to perch horizontally such as on tree branches and if they do end up landing on the ground or another flat surface, it is difficult for them to get into the air again. This difficulty with level ground is because their legs and feet are designed specially to hold onto the vertical walls of chimneys. In fact, they mostly live in the air and typically only land to sleep at night and raise their young. Rough vertical surfaces provide the resting places for these birds and a place to build their nests. Their nests are built onto the chimney walls using their sticky saliva and little sticks and twigs they gathered in flight. These birds live off of all types of insects which they catch while in flight. During the summer months they migrate to the North and when the weather turns chilly, the birds head to South America to avoid the cold.

 Why Should I Care ?  

Chimneys Should Be Capped To
Keep Out Intruders Like Birds,
 Critters, Leaves, Branches and
Other Things That Can Cause
 Obstructions.

 The Chimney Swift population in Connecticut is rapidly declining at about 4 percent annually. Historically, these birds would nest in hollowed out trees and structures, but with the destruction of forests and decline of their natural habitat, these birds adapted and began nesting in masonry chimneys. This adaptation allowed the birds to survive in more diverse habitats but now with more and more chimneys being capped and metal flue liners installed, their expanded habitat is decreasing once again.

The chimney caps keep the birds from entering the stone structure in the first place and metal flue liners do not have enough rough surfaces for the birds to hang onto. In fact, uncapped metal chimney liners pose a threat for Chimney Swifts, as the birds can easily get trapped inside. Chimney Swift migration season starts in late March and then they are gone by the first signs of winter in early November. Therefore, once the Chimney Swifts have arrived and chosen your chimney to build their nest, you must leave them alone till they leave in the Fall. You may not even realize the birds are nesting until the young make noises when the parents bring home food. This is the only time the birds will create a ruckus and it always takes place about 2 weeks before they take flight on their journey to the south. But there is one major benefit to keeping Chimney Swifts around, the little birds eat about a third of their weight in insects every day. This includes troublesome mosquitoes, termites, beetles, and many other tiny pests. You can even consider the minor disturbances at the end of their stay as your only sacrifice for enjoying a bug free summer! Chimney Swift Towers Many bird lovers actually construct special towers designed to house the visiting Chimney Swifts as they migrate into the area looking for places to nest. You can find easy to build Chimney Swift Towers online and construct one near enough to your home that you can enjoy watching the birds, but far enough away that they will not create any problems. If your chimney is capped, they will look for the next best thing and find your tower. Some communities that are known as annual nesting grounds have constructed large towers for these migrating birds. The swifts favor larger chimneys, so abandoned factories with smokestacks are a favorite place for a summer home.

 How do I keep the birds away?

  If you act during the right time, preventing the nesting of Chimney Swifts is a very simple task. After finding Chimney Swifts nesting in your chimney, wait till they have migrated back to the south and have your chimney inspected and cleaned. Note that it is illegal for any chimney sweep to remove an active nest of migratory birds. If the chimney inspection reveals an active nest, reschedule the appointment to a date after the birds have moved on. It is important to have the nest and other remnants of the birds removed from the chimney once the Chimney Swifts have moved on to prevent fire hazards. Then, the best solution to prevent any further nesting is to put a chimney cap on the chimney. This will not only prevent the birds from nesting again, but it will also protect your chimney from leaves, rain water, other animals and numerous other things from getting into and creating problems with your chimney. Keeping the birds out is a simple fix and furthermore, a chimney cap is a good addition to any chimney anyway. Whether you appreciate the company or would rather steer clear of the commitment, it is important to know about the residents of your chimney.

                                               Check out this video on chimney swifts!

Tristan's chimney service Certified chimney sweep of the high country of North Carolina: watauga, mitchell, yancy, avery county

Safely Heat Your Home by Tristan's Chimney Service

Safe Home Heating 

 It’s so easy and automatic that people just don’t think about it. Every year, when the weather turns cold, homeowners reach for household thermostats, flip a switch to turn on the heat and set the temperature to 68 or 70 degrees. Little thought is given to whether the furnace exhaust system – the chimney and connector pipe – is ready to provide safe, effective service. Consumer confidence in the convenience and safety of today’s home heating systems is usually well-placed. The oil and gas heating industries have achieved impressive safety records. Nonetheless, over 200 people across the nation are known to die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by problems in the venting – out of their homes – of toxic gases produced by their heating systems. This is according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Other agencies estimate actual numbers at between 2,000 and 4,000. In addition, around 10,000 cases of carbon monoxide-related “injuries” are diagnosed each year. Because the symptoms of prolonged, low-level carbon monoxide poisoning “mimic” the symptoms of common winter ailments (headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and even seasonal depression), many cases are not detected until permanent, subtle damage to the brain, heart and other organs and tissues has occurred. The difficulty of diagnosis also means the numbers of people affected may be even higher. 

 Fortunately, regular chimney system inspection and maintenance can prevent poisoning incidents like these. 

What Carbon Monoxide Does to You 

Too much carbon monoxide in your blood will kill you. Most of us know to try to avoid this. Less well known is the fact that low-level exposure to this gas also endangers your health. One of the truths of our human bodies is that, given a choice between carbon monoxide and oxygen, the protein hemoglobin in our blood will always latch on to carbon monoxide and ignore the life-giving oxygen. Because of this natural chemical affinity, our bodies – in effect – replace oxygen with carbon monoxide in our bloodstream, causing greater or lesser levels of cell suffocation depending on the intensity and duration of exposure. The side-effects that can result from this low-level exposure include permanent organ and brain damage. Infants and the elderly are more susceptible than healthy adults, as are those with anemia or heart disease. The symptoms of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning are so easily mistaken for those of the common cold, flu or exhaustion, that proper diagnosis can be delayed. Because of this, be sure to see your physician about persistent, flu-like symptoms, chronic fatigue or generalized depression. If blood levels of carbon monoxide are found to be high, treatment is important. Meanwhile, it makes good sense to put heating system inspection and maintenance on your annual get-ready-for winter list.
  

Prevention is the Best Cure 

    Causes of Heating System Problems Why is poisoning from carbon monoxide on the rise? And why does it stem primarily from home heating systems that – at first glance – seem the same as those that have been used safely for years? Today’s houses are more air-tight. Homeowners are aware of the cost of heating drafty homes and have taken steps to seal up windows, doors and other areas of air infiltration. Consequently, there is less fresh air coming into a home and not as many pathways for stale or polluted air to leave it. And, when furnaces and boilers are starved of the oxygen needed to burn fuels completely, carbon monoxide is produced. Manufacturers have designed new,high-technology heating appliances whose greater efficiency helps us save money, conserve natural resources and decrease environmental pollution. However, the new breed of high-efficiency gas and oil furnaces – when vented in to existing chimney flues – often do not perform at an optimum level. The differences in performance create conditions that allow toxic gases to more easily enter home living spaces.
 The above conditions point out a number of older, ongoing problems that still require detection and correction in order to prevent toxic gases from filtering into the house. These include damaged or deteriorating flue liners, soot build-up, debris clogging the passageway, and animal or bird nests obstructing chimney flues. Caring for Your Chimneys & Flues When gas and oil burn in vented heating systems – in order to produce household heat – the dangerous fumes that are by-products of combustion range from soot (particulate matter) to nitrogen dioxide (also toxic) to acidic water vapors formed when moisture condenses. None of these pollutants should be allowed to leak from the chimney into your living space. In addition to carrying off toxic gases, chimneys also create the draft (flow of air) that provides the proper air and fuel mixture for efficient operation of the heating appliance – whether a furnace or boiler. Unfortunately, many chimneys in daily use in homes throughout the country either are improperly sized or have conditions that make them unable to perform their intended function.

 Chimney Problems to Avoid 

    Oil and gas furnaces have distinct burning characteristics and produce different combustion by-products. However, the chimneys and connector pipes that serve them share common problems. Both systems are subject to weathering, animal invasions, deterioration and rust-out and the accumulation of nest materials and debris. Both require regular care and maintenance. Oil flues need to be cleaned and inspected annually because deposits of soot may build up on the interior wall of the chimney liner. The amount of soot depends on how well-tuned the furnace is and whether the house provides sufficient air for combustion. Excessive soot causes problems that range from chimney fires … to flue deterioration … to chimney blockages that direct toxic fumes back into the house and cause inefficient furnace operation. See the brochure from the CSIA specifically relating to oil-burning appliances. Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, but today’s high-efficiency gas furnaces pose a special problem. The fumes they produce are cooler and contain high levels of water vapor, which are more likely to cause condensation than older models. Since these vapors also contain chlorides picked up from house-supplied combustion air, the flues are subjected to more corrosive conditions than before. Even worse, many gas appliances use chimneys that once served oil furnaces. If the liners of these chimneys are made of terra cotta (fired clay commonly used in chimney construction), bits and pieces of them slowly flake off under corrosive conditions.
   The combination of water-laden gas vapors available to mix with old oil soot deposits speeds this process, and debris that can block the chimney builds up at the bottom of the flue. To the extent that problems with either of these heating systems interfere with the flow of toxic gases and particles out of the house, they may also force carbon monoxide, fumes and possibly soot into the living spaces of your home. They may cause a one-time, high-level exposure situation or release smaller amounts more regularly over a longer period.
  These problems should never be ignored. Preventing Problems In the United States, numerous agencies and organizations now recognize the importance of annual heating system inspection and maintenance in preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Fire Protection Association, and the American Lung Association – are some of the organizations that now encourage the regular maintenance of home heating systems and their chimneys in order to keep “the silent killer” at bay. A well-tuned furnace or boiler – connected to a venting system or flue that is correctly-sized, structurally sound, clean and free of blockages – will operate efficiently and produce a warm and comfortable home. An overlooked heating system can produce death and heartbreak. Considering the risks involved when gas or oil systems are neglected - and the benefits that accrue when they are properly maintained - you would do well to have your chimneys checked annually by a Certified Chimney Sweep® and swept or repaired as needed. This can keep illness or death from carbon monoxide poisoning from claiming you or those you love.