With winter now right around the corner, many of us will be looking for ways of staying warm and cozy for the next several months. Without question, some of the best ways of keeping warm and cozy during the winter involve the use of open fires or stoves.
Whether you’ve a multi-fuel stove, a woodburning stove, or an open fire, it’s important to ensure that you have a functioning chimney in place, in order for the smoke and harmful emissions to escape and be properly and safely vented from your home. This is where a chimney cap can be so useful.
Chimney caps not only help to provide an aesthetic appeal to your chimneys/flues, they also ensure that your fires/stoves function safely and efficiently. But how much should it cost to install a chimney cap, and is there anything else you need to consider before having one fitted?
Here’s a look at several things to consider before buying a chimney cap.
What is a Chimney Cap?
Before we can look at a few things to consider before buying a chimney cap, we first need to ensure that you know what they are.
Chimney caps are fitted on top of a chimney, crown, or flue. They consist of a metal base, a mesh body, and a metal hood. They’re designed to help to protect your fireplace and chimney from inclement weather and prevent water from getting inside, while also preventing animals and insects from getting into your chimney and nesting. On top of that, they can also help to prevent fires by preventing sparks and embers from floating out of your chimney and igniting trees, or even roofs.
Chimney caps can be made from a variety of different materials and come in a selection of different designs and styles. They can be used on old-fashioned and modern chimneys alike.
People often wonder whether chimney caps are a worthy investment, when in reality the answer is quite simple. Chimney caps are very important and very effective. If you have a stove or fireplace, your chimney, flue, or crown should feature a chimney cap, it really is that simple.
How Much Should it Cost to Install a Chimney Cap?
Now that we know more about what chimney caps are and how they work, we now need to look at how much it should cost to install a chimney cap.
Of course chimney cap prices vary depending on the size, design, style, and materials it is made from, and then of course there’s labor to consider. While we can’t provide an exact figure, we can give a rough idea just to help clear things up slightly.
On average, it costs around $300 to install a chimney cap. Chimney cap replacements however, vary massively in terms of cost. They could cost as little as just $30 for a prefab cap made from galvanized steel, or as much as $1,000 for a high-spec cap made from a more expensive metal such as copper.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Chimney Cap
Now that we know what chimney caps are, and roughly how much it should cost to install a chimney cap, we need to look at a few considerations before purchasing one.
Here are several things to consider before you buy a chimney cap.
Durability
As you can see, chimney caps are not the most expensive items in the world, and installation and labor fees are also more than reasonable. With that said, you shouldn’t try to cut corners and opt for a cheap, poorly constructed cap just to save a few bucks.
When you buy a chimney cap, you need to make sure that it’s fit for purpose. These caps are designed to do a job, and you must ensure that the one you’ve got your eye on is up to the task at hand. Basically, you want a sturdy and durable cap.
Try to find a heavy, sturdy, durable, and hard-wearing cap that can withstand temperature fluctuations and extreme weather. If you pick up a flimsy and light cap, strong winds could dislodge it or blow it off entirely, which could be disastrous. A heavier and sturdier cap however, will be able to withstand strong wind, heavy rain, and extreme weather.
Material
As mentioned, chimney caps can be made from a variety of different metals, so it’s down to you to decide what’s right for you.
We just spoke of the importance of heavier and sturdier caps, which is where materials such as galvanized steel may not be as effective. These materials are lighter and thinner, so if you live somewhere that experiences extreme weather, you may want to go with another option.
Another option could be stainless steel or copper, which are both stronger and more durable and hard-wearing. Copper is also more aesthetic so could really help to enhance the exterior décor of your home.
Price
By now we’ve already established that the more efficient a chimney cap is, the more expensive it will likely be. Before buying, do some research, find out which type of cap would be most suitable for you and your property, and then decide how much you can realistically afford to spend.
Warranty
When you buy something, you expect it to work. Occasionally, though, there will be times when it doesn’t, or when an item is defective. If this happens with a chimney cap, you’ll want one with a warranty in place.
A warranty basically helps you to relax because, in the event of your cap failing or being defective, the manufacturers will replace it for you for no extra cost. A lot of caps come with lifetime warranties, especially those made from copper or stainless steel.
Cheaper caps may come with limited warranties, so again, be clear on this before buying.
Installation
Finally, unless you are qualified, experienced, and capable enough to safely and efficiently install a chimney cap, you are going to need to find a company that provides chimney cap installation.
Hiring professionals means that your cap will be fitted safely and correctly. Professionals should also provide warranties, so if they have failed to install it correctly, or if something were to go wrong, they’d be able to come back and rectify the issues for no extra cost.
By hiring professionals, you can also virtually guarantee that everything will be measured correctly and that the cap is installed right.