Chimney Chase Covers Near Melville

The Importance Of A Chimney Chase Cover?

The chase cover (or chase pan) is the square or rectangular piece of metal that’s screwed in to rest securely on top of the chimney chase, helping to keep water and other environmental elements out. The chase cover and chimney cap help keep the worse elements — (including water, snow, leaves, debris and critters) — out of the fireplace and flue. Chimney chase covers are typically a rectangular-shaped piece that encloses the top of your home’s chimney made of brick, wood, vinyl or metal. The chase aids in directing the smoke and burning embers away from the roof to prevent a house fire. Chimney chase covers come in many products.

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. Stainless steel is by far the most robust product that an owner will find to use for your home’s chimney. However, the downside to stainless steel is that a steel chimney chase cover is high-priced. Galvanized steel will most certainly be your budget option. So, the chimney chase cover may be a reliable short-term solution, but maybe not for the long run. While stainless steel is the strongest product a homeowner can choose, copper is considered the most high-quality.

How Does A Chimney Chase Cap Become Leaky?

Having a chimney essentially means having a hole in the roof of the home. While water certainly doesn’t mix well with fire, a chase cover goes far beyond simply keeping your roaring fireplace going. Not only can these problems be extremely high-priced to fix, but the chimney chase cover should also be detrimental to you and your family. Part of caring for your chimney is knowing when it’s time to get your home’s chimney chase cover cleaned.

If a chase is broken or has taken significant wear and tear, then the chimney chase cover demands to be repaired. Corrosion and rust should lead to leaks and holes in your cover. Eventually, a homeowner might take on more significant problems and leaks from a leaky chimney chase and that may only lead to more internal chimney complications. Of course, not all of us have the skill or resources to climb teetering on our roofs to check the chimney cover on a regular basis. A simple way to support this area of a home is to schedule semi-annual chimney inspections. This inspection includes a close look at a roof, the chimney and the area surrounding it. A harmed chimney chase cover may cause leaks. If a homeowner see any sign of water in the fireplace, a homeowner should call a chimney inspector right away to stall any further leaks.

Checking For Chimney Chase Complications

If a homeowner have a wood-framed chimney chase, you most certainly need a chimney chase cover. If the owner have a framed chimney chase, you need a chimney chase cover. 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 complications that would be caused by a leak.

A chimney chase cover is a key defense against rain, snow and weather from destroying the chimney while still allowing the flue pipe to exit the chimney. If a homeowner 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 wrong shape, the home inspector will 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 your fireplace or wood stove. Together, these three critical components are the most visible, forming a protective barrier to keep water, small animals and debris out of the chimney and fireplace.

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 will begin to soften, decay and eventually break off the chimney.

The structural housing between the roof line and the chimney crown is the chase. The chase cover is a steel or aluminum square or rectangle-shaped cap that fits snugly on top of the chase to help protect the chimney chase cover from water harm. The chimney cap acts similar to an umbrella to help stall snow, rain, water, birds, animals and debris from getting inside the flue. It’s an optional accessory and may not have been installed when the chimney was originally constructed.

This can cause the masonry to decay and also rust important metal components like 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. Also, uncapped chimneys are at a higher risk for troublesome fire. The force of a downdraft from an exposed flue can blast open fireplace doors pushing smoke, soot and ash into the space. Homeowners are urged to have their chimney cap, chimney crown and chase cover inspected yearly.

The Chimney Cover Fix Pros

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

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

CHIMNEY CHASE COVER INQUIRIES