Even if you love the sounds of birds chirping in the spring, you probably don’t want to hear it coming from your chimney. If your chimney is not protected with a chimney cap equipped with an animal guard, you are at risk of invasions from birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals. Recommended by both chimney experts like The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and animal advocates like The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), this type of chimney cap will prevent critters from getting into your chimney. For over 25 years, All Seasons Chimney has provided quality professional chimney maintenance services, including chimney cap sales and installation, to residents of the Hudson Valley area. We would like to tell you more about the benefits of chimney caps with animal guards.
How do chimney caps keep birds and animals out of my chimney?
In order to prevent wild animals from getting inside your chimney, you need a chimney cap that is equipped with mesh metal sides. These serve as animal guards that will keep birds, raccoons, squirrels, and other animals out. Not only is it a nuisance to share your home with a family of wild animals, but there is also the risk of an animal becoming trapped and dying inside your chimney. Since some species of birds, such as chimney swifts, are protected by federal law from being removed from nesting spots, you might have to wait for them to leave on their own in the fall. Having a chimney cap with animal guards will help you avoid dealing with any wild animal moving into your chimney.
What are the other benefits of chimney caps with animal guards?
Not only does a chimney cap with animal guards keep birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals out of your chimney, it also prevents water from rain, ice, and snow from entering the flue. The CSIA recommends chimney caps as an economical way for homeowners to reduce water penetration damage. The animal guards also serve another purpose as spark arrestors because the mesh metal sides keep hot sparks and embers from jumping out of the chimney onto the roof. This greatly reduces the risk of an accidental house fire.
Make sure your chimney is protected from bird and wild animal invasions with a chimney cap with animal guards. Contact us today at All Seasons Chimney to schedule an appointment for our professional chimney cap installation services.
The reason why you must keep water out of your chimney is because masonry materials are porous, which means the bricks and mortar joints of your chimney absorb water from rain, melted ice, and snow. While this can lead to erosion and deterioration all year long, the greatest amount of damage is done during the winter. Each time the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, any moisture trapped within the bricks and mortar will freeze and expand. When the weather warms back up, the force of the water thawing can be strong enough to cause the masonry materials to crack, crumble, and break apart. This creates gaps and voids in the chimney structure that will allow even more water to penetrate, which lead to further deterioration. It is is strongly recommended by the CSIA to have your chimney professionally waterproofed to avoid water damage to your chimney.