How Santa Claus gets down the chimney is about to get more complicated. I’m advising clients to install metal covers over traditional chimney flues. Homes were not usually installed with these but times have changed. Traditional brick or concrete block chimneys seem to be rarely seen in construction nowadays. Wood framed chimneys are the norm and sometimes it is merely a metal “stovepipe” protruding from the roof. Covers are present on everything new.
Why? Rain water falls down the flue – not a lot but enough to cause rust and deterioration of the steel damper doors and components. Caps deflect the rain and keep the flue dry. In addition, birds and pests have been known to nest in chimneys. The good news is that these are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Also, hot air escapes from the heated space below through this open cavity. A cap helps (a little) in this.
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How Santa Claus gets down the chimney is about to get more complicated. I’m advising clients to install metal covers over traditional chimney flues. Homes were not usually installed with these but times have changed. Traditional brick or concrete block chimneys seem to be rarely seen in construction nowadays. Wood framed chimneys are the norm and sometimes it is merely a metal “stovepipe” protruding from the roof. Covers are present on everything new.
Why? Rain water falls down the flue – not a lot but enough to cause rust and deterioration of the steel damper doors and compo
nents. Caps deflect the rain and keep the flue dry. In addition, birds and pests have been known to nest in chimneys. The good news is that these are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Also, hot air escapes from the heated space below through this open cavity. A cap helps (a little) in this.
