Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

The Importance of a Chase Cover

There are so many parts to a chimney. There’s the damper, which helps seal the fireplace closed when you’re not using it and to allow enough draft when there is a fire burning. There’s the flue, which lines the inner part of your chimney and protects it from the smoke gases and chemicals that could damage it. A chimney cap or rain cover serves as a protection to the interior of your chimney from rain and other types of precipitation that can cause damage to the mortar of the chimney. But there’s another piece, the chase cover, which is often mistaken for the chimney cap. It’s important to understand the difference between these two and to know why each is so important.

Chimney Cap or Chimney Chase Cover?

A chimney cap can do many things for your chimney. It can keep out rain, and it can keep out animals and debris. It offers protection from a downdraft from the wind, and also offers protection to your roof from stray sparks that may work their way up the chimney and land there, possibly causing a fire. A chimney cap has wire or mesh around the outside which allows for the air flow to continue while the top keeps the rain out.

The chimney chase is a “structure built around, and enclosing portions of a chimney exterior to the house.” This structure protects the exterior of your chimney from the effects of weather, which can wear away at both the brick and the mortar, weakening the structure. It can also be a beautiful addition to your home, covering up any imperfections that your chimney might have.

If your chimney has a chase, then you’ll definitely need a chase cover. Rather than fitting on top of the chimney, like a chimney cap does, a chase cover fits over the top of the chase itself. It is made out of metal and has slanted sides so that the rain that falls on it doesn’t go straight down the chase to the metal chimney flashing (metal sheets that cover the joints where your chimney meets the roof). If the precipitation lands there, it could cause these flashings to rust. This is why it is so important that the chase cover fits properly, has a slant to it, and is installed properly.

It’s quite apparent that a chimney chase cover and cap hold two very different purposes. If your chimney has a chase, then a chase cover is what you are looking for.

Call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service

If you’re looking for a chase cover, make sure you call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. Their expert technicians will make sure that you get the chase cover that fits your chase to a “T” and will be able to properly install it so that your chimney is protected from the effects of wind and precipitation. Give them a call today!

Fix Your Leaky Chimney This Summer

Now that spring is here, things will green up and smell fresh and sweet. Why? Because spring is rainy season! One thing that may become apparent now that it’s raining more often is that you have a leaky chimney. That’s definitely not a welcome discovery. On the bright side, summer is the perfect time to get your chimney repaired.

Signs of a Leaky Chimney

First off, it’s important that you recognize signs that your chimney might be leaking. In the interior of your home: if you notice that your ceiling or your walls are water stained, these could be signs that your chimney is leaky. On the outside of your house: if the mortar or the bricks are crumbly or look like they’re decaying, this could also be caused by water damage.

Unfortunately, there might also be damage that isn’t as easy to see. Damage to the interior of your chimney. If there’s interior damage from water leaks, you’ll need to call in the professionals like at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. A professional chimney inspector will be able to determine if your metal or masonry firebox assembly is damaged. Also, if your damper assembly is rusty, or if your hearth support is weakened. A leaky chimney could also cause a deteriorated central heating system. All these things could mean big repair bills.

Causes of Leaks

There are many things that might be causing your chimney leaks. However, the biggest problem is usually the sheet metal flashing. This is important because the sheet metal flashing is what keeps the intersections between the chimney and the roof tight and leak-free. Maybe your flashing has just been affected by normal wear and tear. Perhaps it wasn’t installed right in the first place. If this is what’s causing your leaks, you’ll want to call in CSIA certified experts to come in and repair it.

Another cause of a leaky chimney? You don’t have a chimney cap or a chimney crown, or that your chimney cap or crown is cracked. A chimney cap keeps the rain out of the inside of your chimney and a chimney crown keeps rain off the exterior of your chimney. Both of these are very important for the health of your chimney. Again, call in the experts to check out your chimney cap and crown. Let them determine whether these need to be repaired or replaced.

Call in the Experts

When you have a leaky chimney, you need to take it seriously. This is definitely not a do-it-yourself job. You’ll want a thorough inspection and expert advice. The best company for this job is Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. They not only offer quality repair jobs, but they can inspect, clean, waterproof, and re-line your chimney. That’s only a few of the things they can do. Give them a call or check out the website today, and say good-bye to worrying about your chimney leaks!

Maintaining the Bird Screens on Your Chimney Cap

If you have ever heard the sounds of chirping coming from your chimney, you know what a pain it can be to have birds living in the flue. Not only can they be noisy, but they can also bring germs and diseases into your home. Even when they leave, you will still have their nesting materials inside your chimney, which can block your flue and force carbon monoxide back into your home. The straw and other debris from birds’ nests also creates a dangerous fire hazard as these materials are extremely flammable. The best way to deal with birds and other wild animals and your chimney is to prevent them from being able to get into your chimney at all. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we sell and install bird screens that we can add to your existing chimney cap to give it even more protection from animal and bird invasions. We would like to tell you a bit more about keeping birds out of your chimney as well as maintaining the screens to work at the highest efficiency level.

WATCH OUT FOR CHIMNEY SWIFTS

You may not know that it can be illegal to have a certain kind of bird removed from your chimney if you have one living inside. According to The Humane Society of the United States, chimney swifts and other migratory birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Anybody who knowingly destroys these types of birds or nests that could contain eggs or baby birds can be either penalized or fined, or even both. If you do find a family of chimney swifts living in your chimney, you will have to be patient and wait until the spring when they will leave on their own. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can then check out the inside of your chimney and remove any nesting left behind. We can then add bird screens to your chimney cap to keep these birds from returning in the fall or winter.

KEEP YOUR SCREENS CLEAN

You need to be sure your bird screens are clean and not clogged to keep your chimney working efficiently and safely. Leaves and other debris can get blown into the screens and get stuck. Another thing that can clog up your bird screens is creosote. This substance is a natural residue produced during the combustion process of burning wood, but you can slow down its development by only burning seasoned firewood that has been dried for at least six months. If you burn wet wood, you will definitely have a problem with an abundance of creosote and soot accumulating in your bird screens because wet wood creates a lot of smoke and other byproducts of combustion. You also have cooler fires, which provides the perfect temperature for the rapid development of creosote. If you notice that your bird screens look as if they are clogged with a black or brown substance, give us a call at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for our chimney sweeps to clean your screens. When your screens are clogged, you will have draft problems, like not being able to get a fire started or smoke filling your home when you do get the fire started. You will also be at a higher risk for a carbon monoxide leak because this toxic gas will be forced back into your home if it cannot exit through the screen. We can help you keep everything working smoothly.

Keep birds and other wild animals out of your chimney all year long. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to talk to our staff about our bird screen installation and maintenance services.

The Chimney Swifts Are Arriving Soon

Chimney Swifts come to Central Mississippi this time of year after spending the colder months in South America. These birds come back to North America to nest and lay eggs. Chimneys are one of their favorite places (hence the name Chimney Swift), and you cannot move them once they have nested. They are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. To keep them out of your chimney, you need to have a chimney cap installed. Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service for information about chimney caps at 601-854-7563.

Keep the Water Out

Keep A Focus On Keeping Water Out Of Your Chimney

Along with having your chimney inspected every year and making regular chimney sweeping appointments to stay ahead of creosote, taking precautions to fight off encroaching water is one of the most important things you can do to keep your chimney system trouble-free.

Call us today and lets start making sure your chimney is working at its optimal level.

A healthy amount of the time, when Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is called in with a chimney repair need, water is the culprit behind the damage. That’s partly because water can so easily take advantage of even the smallest chink in your chimney’s armor, slipping into the tiniest crack or gap and then, during cold snaps, expanding as it freezes and making a small problem into a big one. The fact that moisture is almost omnipresent in Central Mississippi doesn’t help either — moisture, over time, can just wear at masonry and metal.

But something to consider, too, is prevention. A lot of times, we don’t think about moisture’s effects on our chimney system until we’re dealing with a leak. But a few key things can help you minimize leaks and moisture damage — or even avoid them altogether.

Make Sure You Have A Properly Sized And Installed Chimney Cap

A chimney cap isn’t just adornment (though it does make a chimney look nicer and more finished). It helps to keep precipitation from coming directly into your flue opening, and slowly wearing away at the flue liner or masonry. If your cap is damaged or missing, Santa’s Friend can install a new chimney cap that’ll bring much-needed protection to your flue.

Consider Chimney Waterproofing

We highly recommend Chimney Saver’s chimney waterproofing sealant. It stops water from penetrating your masonry, but still allows that masonry to expel vapors from its interior, as it was designed to. That protection not only helps you avoid leaks, but adds to your masonry’s longevity too (and in that, minimizes your headaches). Santa’s Friend techs can tell you more about this product, and apply it to your chimney.

Remember When We Mentioned Chimney Inspections?

Keeping up with your annual inspections is key to minimizing chimney leak problems. It’s not uncommon for the parts of your system designed to fend off water — like the chimney crown at the top of your flue or the flashing installed where the chimney and the roofline meet — to develop small imperfections. Your crown may crack under the strain of sun and rain, and the caulking around your flashing can loosen or come off. When you have your chimney inspected regularly, Santa’s Friend can catch those small issues before they get worse, and make the repairs to avoid a serious leak.

If you have any worries about moisture getting into your chimney, call Santa’s Friend. We’re always here to help with information, service, repairs, installations — anything you might need for the care and maintenance of your chimney system.

Yes, You Need a Chimney Cap

Using Chimney Caps to Protect Your Home, Neighbors and Wildlife

Many people install chimney caps on their chimneys because they think it improves the look and line of their roof. Although this is true, there are many more important reasons to make sure that the chimney has a cap. In addition to looking nice, these simple pieces can help protect the home, local wildlife, and even the homes of neighbors. As simple as it looks, it is actually very important to get the right size chimney cap and to have it installed properly.

One of the primary reasons for installing a chimney cap is that it keeps wildlife from building nests inside of the chimney. It is common to find chimney swifts, a species of bird that can only perch vertically, in a chimney. However, many people also find that rodents of all sizes have set up homes in their chimneys. This is not only dangerous for the animals themselves, but it can cause significant damage to the structure of the chimney. In addition, the presence of animals may put the family at risk for a host of diseases.

A chimney caps keeps out both critters and moisture, ensuring proper draft.

In addition to keeping animals out of the chimney, a chimney cap protects against excess moisture. If rain or snow is allowed to get into the chimney, it can cause the clay or brick interior to weaken and flake away. This compromises the integrity of the structure and makes it more likely that there could be a collapse. This would impact the entire foundation of the home and cause a serious safety risk for the entire family.

Even simple materials such as leaves and twigs getting into the chimney can be dangerous. If the chimney becomes clogged, it will not properly vent. Instead of leaving the home through the chimney, smoke will remain in the fireplace and eventually enter the home. Clearly, this can pose a significant health risk, especially if there is a member of the family who suffers from asthma.

In addition to keeping things out of the chimney, a chimney cap protects the home and homes around it by keeping things in. The cap will make sure that all hot embers stay safely inside the flue and the fireplace, where they belong. Hot embers often remain warm enough to ignite for many days. If they pop out onto the roof, they can start a dangerous roof fire. This will not only impact the home with the fireplace in question, but these fires have been known to jump to the roofs of neighbors, causing fires in their homes as well.

Since there are so many ways that a chimney cap can help protect a home, it may seem as if it would be a complicated or expensive structure. In fact, these small pieces are relatively inexpensive and simple to install. Any chimney maintenance professional can quickly install one. They are also an excellent resource in terms of deciding what type of chimney cap will work best with the particular chimney.

Anyone who has a fireplace in their home should make sure that they have a chimney cap installed. These simple structures prevent animals from making their homes in the chimney as well as keeping other debris out. They ensure that the chimney vents properly but they also keep dangerously hot embers inside the structure to prevent external fires. This not only protects the home with the chimney, but surrounding homes. They are simple and inexpensive, and can be quickly installed by any chimney professional.