Chimney Chase Covers Near Bethpage

The Importance Of A Chimney Chase Cover?

The chase cover (or chase pan) is the square or rectangular system of aluminum that’s fitted to rest securely on top of a chimney chase, helping to keep water and other environmental issues out. The chase cover and chimney cap help keep the bad issues — (including water, snow, leaves, debris and critters) — out of the fireplace and flue. Chimney chase covers are typically a rectangular-shaped piece that envelopes the top of a chimney made of brick, wood, vinyl or metal. Chase tops are only found on chases connected to factory-engineered fireplaces. The four main styles for chimney chase tops are aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel and copper. Each of these materials has its bonuses and detriments.

One of the major benefits of an aluminum chimney chase cover is that it won’t rust, which is good for the overall longevity of the product. Aluminum is incredibly reliable, especially if the owner live in an area that sees a ton of costly weather. However, the downside to stainless steel is that a steel chimney chase cover is pricey. If an owner need to replace your rusty, leaky cover immediately – it might be a good option when your home’s bank account isn’t prepared for a huge, significant bill. Galvanized steel rusts easily, so you will have to replace the chimney chase cover within a few years. While stainless steel is the strongest material a homeowner will choose, copper is considered the most high-quality.

Do I Need My Chimney Chase Cover Replaced?

Having a chimney essentially means having a hole in the roof of your home. The cover bars things such as precipitation, leaves, dirt and other debris from damaging a chimney and falling into a fireplace and home. Continuous leaks of water from rain and snow, plus other conditions, will eventually cause structural damage. Although chimney chase covers are functional, preventative products – chimney chase covers don’t last forever.

The most prevalent cause of leaks comes from deterioration and rust. These two things will be easily spotted by reddish-brown stains around the top of a chase. Eventually, you may take on more significant weakening and leaks from a leaky chimney chase and that will only lead to more internal chimney complications. Of course, not all of us have the skill or resources to climb up on our roofs to check the chimney cover on a regular basis. A simple way to renew this area of a home is to schedule yearly chimney inspections. This inspection includes a close look at a roof, your chimney and the area surrounding it. A leaky chimney chase cover can cause leaks. If a homeowner see any sign of water in your fireplace, an owner should call a chimney inspector right away to prevent any further leaks.

Checking For Chimney Chase Damage

A chimney chase cover is a necessity to ensure the top of the chimney is watertight. A chimney chase is a structure that is most prevalently constructed to hide an ugly vent pipe running up the side of a home or through the roof. If a existing chimney chase cover is starting to deteriorate, it would be a good idea to replace the chimney chase cover sooner rather than later to avoid additional problems that would be caused by a leak.

A chimney chase cover is a key defense against rain, snow and weather from infiltrating the chimney while still allowing the flue pipe to exit the chimney. If you will see rust stains running down the siding of the chimney, it’s likely the rust was caused by the chase cover being old. The chimney is a popular structure to be evaluated and inspected by a home inspector during the selling process of any home. If the chimney cover is in defective shape, the home inspector may include the chimney chase cover on the inspection report.

Chimney Chase Problems

Your chimney is a workhorse constantly exhaling smoke, fumes and other contaminants while you’re enjoying the warmth of a fireplace or wood stove. And when any of these components are missing or fail, the risk of chimney problems grows.

The chimney crown is the top level of the chimney. These influences will cause cracks to develop on the crown allowing water to leak behind the bricks inside the chimney. If damages to the crown are not discovered and replaced in a timely manner, the brick masonry may begin to soften, decay and eventually break off the chimney.

The structural housing between the roof line and the chimney crown is the chase. Since aluminum chase covers are more prone to rusting than stainless steel, especially in coastal areas with high levels of salinity in the air, chimney chase covers need to be inspected regularly. The chimney cap acts similar to an umbrella to help stop snow, rain, water, birds, animals and debris from getting inside the flue. It’s an optional accessory and may not have been connected when the chimney was originally constructed.

This could cause the masonry to decay and also rust important metal components such as the damper and smoke shelf leading to more expensive repairs. Also, small birds, squirrels, raccoons and other little critters are attracted to exposed chimneys for cover against predators. This prohibits the escape of adverse fumes from a burning fireplace exposing people in a home to detrimental, high levels of smoke and carbon monoxide. With the right weather factors, burning embers from the fireplace will be sucked through the chimney and land on your home’s roof and start a fire. Repair any missing or destroyed components as quickly as possible.

Expressway: Bethpage’s Chimney Chase Repair Pros

While a homeowner may certainly continue to learn, it’s best to contact a chimney sweep with any questions or concerns the owner may have. If you’re in the Long Island area, schedule an appointment with Expressway or give us a call to address your home’s chimney demands .

Our masons ask that you be careful whom the owner hire(s)! Homeowners should only allow the problematic chimney to be worked on by a knowledgeable CSIA Certified Chimney contractor who may provide you with the proper service and suitable parts for your system. For instance, cross-breaks create a dome effect, allowing rain, debris to flow away from the chase cover rather than collecting on top of it. Unfortunately, not all covers feature this extremely beneficial design and people frequently don’t realize that until it’s too late and the problems has already been done. Give Expressway Roofing & Chimney a call and let us handle all of a chimney’s demands.

CHIMNEY CHASE COVER INQUIRIES