Animal guard mesh
A heavy mesh screen blocks animals from nesting in the chimney and keep debris out too.
Chimney Parts
Chimney Cap Installation Stroudsburg, PA
A Stroudsburg chimney sweep can measure your flue and install a chimney cap that keeps rain, birds, raccoons and leaves out while letting smoke escape. Call (272) 271-1491 to reach a local chimney sweep.
An uncapped chimney is an open hole in the roof, and plenty of things find their way into it. Rain runs straight down the flue, where it rusts dampers, soaks the smoke chamber and mixes with soot to make a sour smell. Squirrels, raccoons and birds nest in open flues, and their nests can block smoke from escaping.
The cap itself is a simple part: a solid top to shed water, mesh sides to block animals and a base that fastens to the chimney. The crown seals the top of the brick, while the cap protects the opening of the flue itself.
The right cap depends on the chimney. A single flue cap clamps onto one flue tile, while an outside mount or multi flue cap covers the whole crown and every flue under it. Stainless steel and copper last far longer than galvanized or painted steel, which rusts and streaks the masonry within a few years.
Many chimney cap installation calls in Stroudsburg also turn up a need for chimney crown repair or chimney animal removal.
Need chimney cap installation in Stroudsburg? Call (272) 271-1491 and describe the problem to a chimney sweep who works in Stroudsburg.
Call nowThe process
The chimney cap installation process
Here is how a chimney sweep usually handles a cap installation.
Check the flue first
Nothing should be trapped below a new cap, so the flue is checked first. Active nests can affect when the cap goes on.
Measure the flue
The flue tile is measured across the outside and for how far it sticks above the crown. The cap needs enough height above the flue for smoke to escape freely.
Select a style
The cap is matched to the chimney, the appliance and the look of the house. Gas appliance flues may need caps listed for that use.
Check the crown
The crown and the top of the flue are checked so the cap is not mounted on failing masonry. Small cracks can be sealed before the cap goes on.
Fasten the cap
A single flue cap is tightened onto the tile, and crown mount caps are fastened into the masonry. It should not wobble when pushed, and you will hear when the mesh should be checked for soot.
What is included
Chimney cap options
Multi flue caps
A larger cap that covers the entire crown and every flue under it also protects the crown from direct rain.
Flue tile caps
A simple cap for one flue extending above the crown is the most common type on brick chimneys.
Top sealing caps
A combined cap and damper closes the flue at the top for better energy savings.
Copper caps
Copper caps last a long time and weather to a natural patina so the cap does not need replacing every few years.
Related service
Chimney Cap Replacement Stroudsburg, PA
Plenty of chimneys already have a cap, but it may be rusted, bent or missing mesh. Look for rust stains on the crown, a tilted lid or gaps in the screen. A replacement in stainless steel or copper usually ends the cycle of rusting caps.
Homeowners in Stroudsburg often find out about a failed cap when water or an animal shows up in the fireplace. Calling (272) 271-1491 with a few details, such as how many flues there are and what fuel you burn, helps the sweep plan the job. A flue left uncapped for a while is worth sweeping or checking for nests.
Related service
Spark Arrestor Installation Stroudsburg, PA
A spark arrestor is the mesh screen on a chimney cap that stops burning embers from leaving the flue and landing on the roof or nearby trees. Fire standards like NFPA 211 call for mesh openings of roughly three eighths to one half inch, which balances ember control with airflow. Some communities with wildfire risk require them on every wood burning chimney.
A screen that clogs with soot can push smoke back into the house, so the mesh should be checked during sweeping. Smoke rolling back into the room can be a sign the screen is blocked. Cleaning or replacing the mesh restores the draft.
Local help
Chimney Cap Installation Near Me
Chimney caps in Stroudsburg take a beating from wind, storms and the freeze and thaw cycles that come with the seasons. In Stroudsburg and places nearby like Arlington Heights, East Stroudsburg, Penn Estates and Bangor, squirrels, raccoons and birds treat open chimneys as easy shelter, so a solid cap is one of the simplest ways to protect the flue.
Need chimney cap installation around Stroudsburg? Call (272) 271-1491 for a Stroudsburg chimney sweep who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects chimneys around Stroudsburg
Winters here are long and cold, and the heating season usually runs from October well into April. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Wind driven rain from coastal storms finds any gap in flashing, too. That is why chimney cleaning in Stroudsburg is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Familiar with local homes
Chimney sweeps in Stroudsburg know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Cap Installation questions
Will a cap make my fireplace smoke?
The right cap, mounted with enough height above the flue, lets smoke out freely. When a cap does cause smoke issues, the mesh is usually caked with soot or the cap is the wrong size. Cleaning or resizing the cap usually fixes it.
How long does a chimney cap last?
Lifespan depends mostly on the material. Cheaper galvanized steel caps rust out faster, and flue gases from some appliances speed that up. Have the cap looked at during each sweeping, since wind and wildlife can loosen it.
What should I do if birds are nesting in my chimney?
Some chimney birds, especially chimney swifts, are protected, which limits what can be done during nesting season. The sweep will advise on when it is legal to clear the nest. After they leave, the nest is removed and a cap goes on.
Does my chimney really need a cap?
Chimney caps block water, debris and wildlife from getting into the flue while still letting smoke out. Rusted dampers, damp smells and blocked flues are typical in uncapped chimneys. For the cost of a small part, a cap prevents a lot of trouble.
What is the difference between a chimney cap and a chimney crown?
They are two different parts: the crown is the masonry top of the chimney and the cap is the metal piece over the flue. The cap is the metal cover with mesh sides that sits over the flue opening above the crown. Having one does not replace the other.
More questions? Call (272) 271-1491
Related services
Chimney Crown Repair
Repairing the concrete slab that caps the top of the chimney, so water stops soaking into the masonry from the top.
Learn moreChimney Animal Removal
Clearing animals and nesting material out of the flue, smoke shelf and damper, with the timing and method matched to the animal.
Learn moreChase Cover Replacement
Replacing rusted or leaking chase covers custom sized to the chase so water stays out.
Learn moreChimney Leak Repair
Finding and stopping water that gets in through the crown, cap, flashing or brick, whether the drip shows up in the attic, the ceiling or the firebox.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesTalk to a Stroudsburg chimney sweep about chimney cap installation
Call (272) 271-1491 for a local chimney sweep in Stroudsburg and nearby towns.
(272) 271-1491
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