When you first bought your chimney, did you pay attention to the chimney and the parts of the chimney? Probably not. There are so many things to think about when buying a home. Now that you have the home, don’t forget to give the chimney some attention. Let us break it down for you. There are three very important parts of the chimney that you should know about: the cap, crown, and covers.

What are these Three Parts of a Chimney and Their Purposes?

Chimney Caps

The chimney cap is the protective covering that sits atop the chimney. You can think of it as the roof covering the chimney opening.

Benefits of the Cap:

• Keeps the rain out. If you don’t have a cap on the chimney, rain will come right into your home. Moisture can wreak havoc on your chimney and components. Moisture can damage the liner, rust metal parts, and lead to mold and mildew, which can cause health problems.
• Keeps animals out. With an opening to the outside, small animals such as birds and squirrels will find the warmth and safety inviting. A cap usually has a mesh screen around it, preventing animals from entering.
• Prevents downdrafts. Wind can cause smoke to reenter the house. A chimney cap allows wind to pass over the chimney.
• Keeps debris out. Wind will circulate leaves, debris, and twigs; these can all land in your chimney, causing a blockage. The cap will prevent anything from flying in.
• Stops sparks. The mesh is also helpful in keeping sparks in the chimney and preventing them from flying.

Chimney Crown

The cement layer that sits around the base of the flue tile covers the entire surface of the chimney.

Benefits of the Crown:

• Protects against water infiltration. The main job of the crown is to keep water away from the chimney. The crown is bruilt with a slight slope so that water runs directly away from the chimney.
• Protects the brick and mortar. Keeping the water away from the bricks is an important job for the chimney crown. Without the crown, water can seep into the bricks, causing cracks, deterioration, and structural damage. The freeze/thaw effect can cause cracks to expand; keeping water away from the bricks and mortar is a smart defense.

Chimney Cover

You may think that the cover sounds just like the cap. These two terms can be interchanged, but often when speaking of the cover, they may be referring to a chase cover, used for a prefabricated chimney. The cap covers the flue opening. The cover will cover the entire top of the framed chimney.

Benefits of the Cover:

• Covers the top of the chimney to keep rain, debris, and small animals out.
• Works as a spark cover.
• Helps reduce downdrafts.

The reputation Anderson’s Chimney and Masonry Services has built over the past 24 years. Our staff is certified through the CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America). We maintain the highest level of training available. We are active members of the NCSG (National Chimney Sweeps Guild) and the Pennsylvania Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps. Rick has served both as President of the PA Guild and as an Ethics Committee board member of the NCSG.