Why have a Chimney
1. Keep unwanted moisture from entering the chimney such as rain or snow. The water reacts with creosote forming an acid inside the chimney which deteriorates your mortar joints inside the chimney and firebox as well as the damper.
2. Keep leaves, sticks and other debris out of the chimney.
3. Prevent animals, birds and bats from entering the chimney. The standard caps we sell will allow bats in. On gas
4.Spark arrestor. Spark arrestors are designed to keep sparks within the chimney and away from the roof or house. (Some states require this feature.)
What type of Chimney Cap should I have?
Chimney caps are made from a variety of materials. Galvanized, stainless steel, and copper are the most common. Caps made of stainless steel and copper will last much longer than those made of regular galvanized metal.
We only install the stainless or copper as they will not leave rust stains down your chimney and/or roof. They also last much longer saving you money in the long run.
Why have a Damper?
Dampers are designed to keep the heat inside your home when the fireplace is not in use.
Most standard dampers in masonry fireplaces are hard to reach and or hard to operate due to rust or warping from heat. Standard dampers are a metal plate resting against a metal frame. After warping and rusting they allow air to escape up the chimney.
In our experience a rusty damper is usually a sign that there is much more damage done behind the damper as the water sits on the smoke shelf and corrodes its way forward towards the damper.
What type of Damper should I have?
There are a few types to choose from.
- Vestal Cast- Iron Damper. (Most likely what you have now.)
- Lymance Top Mounted Damper
- Lock-Top Top Mounted Damper. (Shown below.)
We prefer the Lock-Top or Energy Top Damper and have had many pleased customers with these models.
We like them because they are made of stainless, have an easy to use stainless chord for the user to open and close and they also act as a chimney cap when open or closed.
We do use the Lyemance or Sealtight Damper in certain situations where there is already a stone or metal cap on the chimney which needs to remain there.
All these above styles seal to a gasket, completely sealing off the chimney as opposed to the Vestal which is just metal sitting on metal, usually unevenly.