The Role of Chimney Caps in Winter Weather

With winter's chilly temperatures, you may wear a knit cap on your head to keep warm and protect it from the elements. Do you realize a cap is suitable for your chimney as well? It's true; a chimney cap is a device that protects your chimney year-round, including winter. Let's look at the role of chimney caps in winter weather.

Winter Wind and Chimney Caps

In winter, winds can pick up and blow right into your chimney—problems like downdrafts that blow soot back into your home (puff back) and backdrafts. A backdraft will blow down your chimney and toxic smoke into your home. As you can imagine, breathing in smoke from your fireplace is not good for your health. A chimney cap can block downdrafts and keep your home safe and is perhaps its most important function in winter.

Wildlife and Chimney Caps

Your chimney makes a highly appealing place for wildlife to spend the winter. It's warm and protects them from predators. When birds, squirrels, or other wildlife build a nest in your chimney, it can keep smoke and carbon monoxide from escaping and floating back into your house. Nests can even start a chimney fire when hot embers make contact. Chimney caps are surrounded by a wire mesh that prevents wildlife from infiltrating and blocking your chimney.

Precipitation and Chimney Caps

If your chimney doesn't have a cap, its flue is open to the elements and lets precipitation like rain, hail, and snow (in higher elevations) into it. Precipitation could damage your chimney liner and flood your firebox. It can allow mold to grow in your fireplace and flue because they are constantly damp. A chimney cap acts like an umbrella, keeping rain, hail, and snow out.

What Chimney Cap is Best?

It depends on what you want and your budget. There are a variety of styles of chimney caps available to match your home, and they are constructed in a number of materials that range from reasonable to expensive.