Sometimes when you’re talking about something that you aren’t really that knowledgeable on, it’s easy to get terms mixed up. Take your
chimney, for instance. Some parts are obvious, like the firebox and the dampers. But some terms seem like they might just be interchangeable. Chimney caps, chimney crowns, and chase covers are terms that people often get mixed up. All three sit at the top of your chimney, and all three protect your chimney from rain. Other than that, however, the three are really quite different. You don’t want just any one of these, because if that’s all you have, your chimney isn’t as protected as it could be.
The chimney crown is the piece at the top of your chimney, made of cement, with sloped sides that overhang your chimney by several inches. This design directs rain away from the chimney opening, but also away from the area where the chimney meets the house. Because this leaves the opening of your chimney unprotected, you’ll want to make sure that you have a chimney cap as well. This also has a sloped top which sits on mesh sides, and it is placed on top of the chimney crown. The sloped roof directs precipitation to the chimney crown, and the mesh sides keep critters and debris out of your chimney while letting smoke out and into the open air. Together, these are an effective tool to help keep your chimney from leaking water.
Chase Cover
But what if you have a prefabricated chimney? This brings us to the chase cover. This works as a barrier between your chimney and precipitation as well, but it is specially made for prefabricated chimneys. The chase is the area around the metal flue pipes. The chase cover, then, is the covering that keeps those pipes are protected. It’s usually made of stainless or galvanized steel, or sometimes aluminum. You don’t want this made of a cheaper metal because it will rust out more easily, and that defeats the purpose of the chase cover. If the chase cover is in bad condition, you will most likely be experiencing leaks.
How Do You Know
So, how do you know if there’s a problem with your chase cover? Rust. If you can see rust running down the chase, you most likely should be looking at having that chase cover replaced. Another signal is water pooling in your fireplace or on top of the chase cover. The problem isn’t necessarily wear-down, either; it could be that your chase cover isn’t fitted properly or that it doesn’t have the proper slope.
If you’re worried that your chase cover isn’t up to snuff, give Black Velvet Chimney a call at 817-473-4466 and you’ll soon have a chase cover that performs its job to perfection! Whether it needs to be repaired, refitted, or replaced, we’re the right people for the job.
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