Caps vs. Crowns vs. Covers
Owning a home can be complex at times. Learning about all the different maintenance that keeps your home running efficiently, safely, and affordably can be a challenge. One area of your home that can be specifically confusing is parts of your chimney, three in particular. The caps, crowns, and covers all seem to do the same thing. But that may be true to some point, but they also play a very important part on their own. Each part has a unique responsibility. Let us break it down for you here.
Chimney Cover
For the sake of simplicity, we will start with the chimney cover. If you have a home with a manufactured fireplace, a cover or chase cover will be placed around the pipe structure that runs up the chimney chase. The chase cover deflects water from the wooden chase that surrounds and protects the flue pipes on manufactured-built chimneys. A chase covers the entire top of the chimney structure. Without a cover, your chimney pipe is exposed to small animals, weather, and debris.
Chimney Cap
A cap sits at the top of the chimney and protects its opening. The cap acts as a barrier, protecting the inside of the chimney from rain, snow, leaves, birds, and other debris that should not enter the chimney. With a properly fitted and installed cap, it can provide many benefits.
- Moisture: A chimney cap acts as moisture protection. One of the biggest enemies to brick and mortar in your chimney is moisture. Due to the porous nature of bricks, water can collect in the bricks and mortar. The freeze-thaw process occurs as the weather gets cold, causing the chimney materials to crack.
- Preventing Wildlife: Keeping wildlife out of your chimney is important, as nesting materials can cause obstructions and affect airflow.
- Fire safety: A cap features a spark arrestor. This prevents sparks from exiting the chimney and landing on your roof.
Chimney Crown
The concrete slab that sits directly on top of the brick and mortar of the chimney. Similar to the cap, the sole responsibility of the crown is to keep water from reaching your brick-and-mortar chimney. The chimney crown is like an umbrella, keeping water from the chimney. It is slightly sloped so that water is directed away from the chimney structure.
So there you have it. A chimney cap vs. crown vs. cover, all very important, slightly similar in their benefits, however, all unique in their ability to keep you safe and the chimney in good shape for years to come.
Not all chimney and fireplace companies are the same. Since we started, we have continued to wow our customers with our high-quality work, dedication to excellent customer service, and commitment to affordable, honest prices.
Have you experienced the Wells & Sons difference? If your home needs chimney or fireplace repairs or maintenance, you can trust Wells & Sons Chimney Service to take care of your home as if it were our own.
