How to Select Your Chimney Cap:
Everything You Need to Know
© 2004, 2005 PennVentures LLC

It's not very difficult to choose exactly the right chimney cap for your home, especially if you take it one step at a time. There are just four things to consider: shape, type, metal, and size.

First, what shape should your chimney cap be? 

Look at your chimney and find the flue, the pipe that lets the smoke out. It's either round, square or rectangular. 
 

If you have more than one flue in your chimney, the arrangement of flues is rectangular. So if your flue is rectangular, or if you have more than one flue, consider the shape you need to be rectangular.

(For now, we're just talking about masonry or brick chimneys with tile flues. We'll talk about metal chimneys later.) 

OK, now let's figure out which type of chimney cap you need.

Below are Examples of Single Flue Chimney Caps:
Click on any photo to find out more.

Below are Examples of Top Mount Chimney Caps:
Click on any photo to find out more.

Below are Examples of Sleeve Fit Chimney Caps:
Click on any photo to find out more.

Now that you know what shape and what type of chimney cap you need, it's time to consider which metal would be best for your chimney cap.

Chimney caps are manufactured from stainless steel, copper, and galvanized steel. Stainless steel is the best value for the dollar. Copper is the most elegant, especially for historic or upscale homes. Stainless steel and copper chimney caps usually come with a lifetime warranty. Some companies can have stainless steel caps coated with black or colored heat resistant coatings. Galvanized steel is the least expensive and the least durable.  Galvanized steel chimney caps are usually painted black.

Copper is not recommended for light colored chimneys. Stainless steel is the preferred metal for salt water climates. 

Finally, what size should your chimney cap be?

To answer this question you or a contractor will have to get up on the roof and take careful measurements. Be sure to take a pencil and paper, as well as a metal yardstick or metal tape measure. Take a metal square to insure you are measuring with square, 90 degree, corners.

If you have a square or rectangular clay flue pipe that sticks up above the chimney crown more than an inch, measure and write down the length and the width of the flue.

If you have a round clay flue, measure its outside diameter. 

If your flue doesn't stick up at least an inch, or if you have multiple flues, measure each side of the area you want the chimney cap to cover.  Start with the longest side and, going clockwise, measure each side of the flue or array of flues. Be sure you are using 90 degree corners. Record your measurements in inches.

If you plan to use a top mount chimney cap, there must be at least 5 inches of clearance between the top of your flue and the lid (or roof) of the chimney cap. The distance from the chimney crown to a point 5 inches above the tallest flue is called "screen height."

Now is the time to consider whether you want a chimney cap or if what you really need is a combination damper and chimney cap. We recommend the Lyemance brand of dampers because they save you up to 90 percent of the energy that is lost with a traditional damper. The Lyemance dampers are available in combination with a quality chimney cap.

Chimney caps for unusual conditions.
Some chimneys whistle or sing in high winds; some don't draw well when the wind is coming from certain directions; and some don't draw at all. 

Please email us to let us know if you need a chimney cap that rotates so that its open side is always down wind. We can arrange that for you. 

Other chimney caps are made to cure 'back-puffing' from down currents caused by mountains or tall buildings. These are available both for round flues and for masonry flues. For the most difficult cases, there are chimney caps with integral electric fans that pull the smoke out of the chimney. Likewise, these Exhausto Fans are available for round flues and for other flues. 

A special note about metal chimneys for gas fireplaces and woodstoves. 
Metal chimneys come in three types: just plain pipe, air insulated, and solid pack (also called 'Class A' chimneys). 

Plain pipe is just that: it's typically found on woodstoves. Just measure the inside diameter of the pipe and order a chimney cap of the same diameter. (A chimney cap labeled '8 inch' will fit tightly inside an 8 inch flue.) 

Air insulated flues have an air jacket surrounding the flue, a pipe within a pipe. Some have a larger third jacket. Choose a chimney cap designated for air insulated chimneys, one that fits inside the flue and has a bottom plate large enough to cover the outermost jacket.. 

Solid pack flues have a flue surrounded by packed insulation and an outer pipe. A third pipe may or may not be present. Choose a chimney cap designated for solid pack chimneys, one that fits inside the flue and has a bottom plate large enough to cover the outer jacket.           

A special note about custom chimney caps. 

Sometimes, the chimney cap you want just doesn't exist as a stock item. 

Maybe you want something special, such as a chimney cap with a hip, conical, or other interesting top. Maybe you want a non-standard shape, such as a
T-shaped chimney cap. A custom chimney cap may best serve your needs. We specialize in custom chimney caps and are always available to be of assistance to you if you need help with this. Email us or call us at
888-8FIREPL (888-834-7375), and we will be glad to assist you with your custom chimney cap.

Because custom made caps are one-of-a-kind, they cannot be returned for a refund. For this reason, and because they are more expensive than standard caps, it is essential to measure carefully. Write down the longest side first, then each successive side going clockwise. Be sure to measure for screen height (from chimney crown to the top of the tallest flue, plus five inches.)

A special note about chimney caps for California and other areas requiring ⁵/8" mesh

"Mesh" refers to the screened area of chimney caps.

Many localities--primarily California, but also some other areas around the country--have codes calling for ¹/2" spark arrestors. Some localities call for such spark arrestors in "wooded areas" or "within 200 feet of wooded areas." According to the National Fire Protection Association, chimney caps with ⁵/8" mesh will not allow a ¹/2" sphere through them, and thus are considered the industry standard for California-sized chimney caps. If you live in such an area, local laws may require such specially sized mesh to conform to these spark arrestor codes. We have a wide selection of chimney caps with ⁵/8" mesh for round, top mount, single and multi-flues.