Why is it absolutely necessary to have a cap on your chimney?
There is no way around it; every time you burn a fire, you are going to have smoke cling to the walls of your flue. This material is known as creosote, and it becomes highly flammable when it comes in large quantities. On it’s own, it won’t do any damage, but add water to the mix, you get a highly acidic substance that can eat away at the silica in your mortar joints.
Those joint are made of cement, and they are the glue that holds your flue together. The silica acts as a bonding agent, and once it starts to deteriorate, the mortar can eventually revert to sand. It’s then only a matter of time until it all falls out, which is when the real problems start.
There are some very bad things that can happen when the mortar between your terracotta flue tiles gives out. When wood is burned, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are created, as are a few other gasses. When your fireplace is working properly, none of that is an issue, but if you don’t have a cap on the chimney, all of these gasses can slip out of the flue and seep into your home.
We can easily get a chimney cap for any size or style of chimney, and we will always offer a warranty with whichever one you choose. If you don’t know whether you have a cap or not, we can perform an inspection.
ARC Chimney Sweeps of Metairie, LA can deliver custom chimney caps in a variety of styles, colors, and materials, so give us a call today at (504) 322-3654 and receive a free inspection with any purchase of a chimney cap.