Most, but not all, chimneys have chimney caps. If you’re not sure if you have a chimney cap or not, it’s easy to find out. All you need to do is go outside and look up. There is a large cement slab at the top of your chimney. This is the chimney crown, and it is built directly onto the top of the brick and mortar of your chimney. On top of this sits your chimney cap. So if there’s nothing on top of your chimney crown, you don’t have a chimney cap. If you don’t have one, it’s an easy fix. If you live in Charlotte, Monroe, or 
Concord, North Carolina or any of the surrounding areas, give Owens Chimney Systems a call and we can set you up with a chimney cap that fits your chimney and the look of your home and keeps your home free from water damage from precipitation that can easily sneak down your chimney if you don’t have one.
Purpose of a Chimney Cap
A chimney cap is designed to keep rain out of your chimney. A chimney crown is also part of this process, and the two work together to keep water out of your chimney and away from the spot where your chimney meets your roof. A chimney crown has sloped sides that overhang the chimney by at least two inches. When rain falls, it goes down onto the roof and runs down the sloped sides of the roof, into the rain gutters, and away from your home. But even with a sturdy chimney crown, the opening of the chimney is left unprotected, and rain can easily fall straight down the chimney and into your home. That’s where the chimney cap comes in.
A chimney cap is basically a little roof for your chimney. The slanted roof directs the rain down to the chimney crown and off the roof. But the aspect of the chimney cap that is really smart is the way the sides were designed. Because your chimney needs to let smoke out, it’s important that the sides stay open. However, your chimney is a great spot for animals and birds to build nests and raise families, so to leave the sides open leaves your chimney open to invasion by these critters. That’s why a chimney cap’s sides are made of meshed steel, open enough to let smoke out while closed enough to keep animals and other debris out.
Get That Chimney Covered
If you’ve noticed water in your chimney and know you don’t have a chimney cap or that your current chimney cap isn’t in the best of shape, get on the phone and give Owens Chimney Systems a call. We have a wide variety of chimney caps to choose from and we can get that chimney cap installed before the cooler days of winter hit. Protect your chimney from water damage and from animals that want to make your chimney their home by installing a new chimney cap.