Why Should I Cap My Custom Chimneys in Nashville

A few years ago I was Custom Chimneys in Nashville talking to one of my neighbors and he was having a problem with critters in his chimney. I advised him to call the chimney company I use to inspect and clean my chimney annually. He told me I was wasting my money by hiring someone to do that for me. He had read about a way to smoke out the critters and was making plans to do so.

 

 

About a month later the fire department Chimney Construction nashville showed up at his house to put out a chimney fire. Apparently, while smoking out the critters he caught a nest on fire and was lucky that he didn't burn his house down! He was also given a warning ticket and found out the hard way that certain birds, namely the Chimney Swift, are federally protected by law. Once they roost in your chimney you have to let them stay there and not touch them until they leave in the fall to follow their migration path to South America.

 

 

We've never talked about the incident but I did notice that this year, he hired a company to come out and inspect the chimney and they fitted a brand new chimney cap to the top to prevent critters from making the chimney their home. While this is a great reason to get a cap for the top of your chimney it's not the only reason.

 

 

We have fireplaces because we love the atmosphere and warmth they bring to our homes in cold weather. There is nothing like curling up by a roaring fire with your family and just enjoying this simple pleasure. At the same time, this pleasure can become your worse nightmare if you have not taken every precaution to keep your family and home safe. The bottom line is that fires can be dangerous. It's up to us to be pro-active to prevent that fire from getting anywhere it shouldn't be.

 

 

Placing a chimney cap on the top of your chimney is a preventative measure. There is a hole up there that allows smoke and heat to rise out of your home and that's a good thing. There is also a hole up there that can allow rain water and debris as well as birds, squirrels, mice and other rodents into your home. Placing a cap over the top keeps the things you want kept out, out while still allowing the heat and smoke to get out.

 

 

My wife likes it as well because she believes it adds a decorative element to our home. Chimney caps come in many materials to choose from like aluminum, copper, stainless steel and some beautiful custom ones that can be really heavy. They are also available in many different sizes, so you need to have a professional come out and measure your appliance so you get one that will easily fit. Again, speak with a reputable chimney company as they can point you to a good cap distributor so you can have a good selection to choose from and get the one you want. The end result will be a protected chimney that will be free of potentially damaging debris, rain and those critters that can be so darn annoying.