Three Reasons Why Your Chimney Should Have A Chimney Cap
If you're like most people who have recently purchased a home with a fireplace, you're undoubtedly looking forward to relaxing in front of the fire on chilly evenings, as well as getting a break on home heating costs. You probably already know that regular chimney maintenance is part of the picture when you've got a wood-burning appliance in the house, but you may not be aware of details such as the importance of having a functioning chimney cap.
As its name implies, a chimney cap covers the exterior top of your chimney. They're usually made from copper or steel, and some have tightly woven wire mesh at the top — although this type usually has a second covering that can be used in the event of heavy winds or precipitation.
Following are three reasons why you should have a chimney cap installed.
Chimney Caps Keep Water and Snow Out
One of the last things you need while enjoying a hot beverage around the fire with family and friends is to have the evening ruined by precipitation landing in the middle of your fire. Although rain or snow coming down the chimney probably won't put a healthy fire out altogether, it will cause it to produce a great deal of smoke
Chimney Caps Keep Downdrafts Out
Downdrafts have the potential to come down your chimney and blow smoke all over the room — and possibly even blow ashes out of the fireplace, creating a serious fire hazard. A good chimney cap prevents this from happening. Even when you don't have a fire going in the fireplace, a chimney cap prevents cold blasts of air from entering your home interior, which helps keep energy costs down, particularly if you live in a part of the country that experiences high winds on a regular basis.
Chimney Caps Keep Insects, Birds, Rodents, and Raccoons Out
Insects aren't the only pests with the potential to access your home interior through the chimney. Rats, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks can also get inside by crawling down your chimney, and certain types of birds, such as chimney swifts, find them an ideal environment for making nests to raise their young. Raccoons sometimes use chimney ledges as dens, which can be extremely problematic for homeowners because the animals sometimes make their down down the chimney.
Please feel free to contact your local chimney cleaning service for more information on the advantages of equipping your chimney with a chimney cap.
For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Mercer County Chimney Services.
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