How to make a chimney cap for a fireplace?

Whenever we have talked about how to install a fireplace or wood stove, we have always insisted on the importance of correctly installing the chimney flue and the smoke outlet, as well as its exhaust and ventilation ducts.

There is an element that we have all seen on the roofs of many homes: the chimney cap. However, we do not pay enough attention to them and few know why they are installed.

In today’s post, we are going to talk about how an anti-revoco hat works and what its function is. In addition, we will talk about chimney caps for chimneys, whether they need to be installed or what happens if we do not install them.

We’ll tell you about it below!

What is a chimney cap?

Chimney caps are pieces that have a cap on top. They are always installed at the end of the smoke extraction channel of our stove or fireplace.

Originally, chimney cowls were used to prevent sparks formed during combustion from escaping. Their main function is to evacuate smoke and noxious gases. In addition, they prevent rainwater from entering the flue, prevent animals from occupying the chimney and prevent the backdrafting of air through the chimney flue.

Anti-recoil caps

There are several types of cowls, with different shapes and functions, that you can install on the chimney flue.

At Panadero, as manufacturers of wood stoves and fireplaces, we recommend installing an anti-revoking chimney cap.

The anti-flue cap is placed, as we said before, at the end of the chimney flue, to avoid the flue gases produced by adjacent air currents on the roof. It also slows down the passage of rain in the outlet channels.

These devices are easy to maintain. It is not necessary to grease its shafts and its lateral wind protection system makes it one of the most commonly installed sunshades on roofs.

In addition, they avoid the need for roofing work.

Other examples of chimney cap

There are times when, due to external agents and factors, the same sunshade is not useful. Why? This is because there are several areas, for example, located in areas of high rainfall or chimneys that need a reinforcement when extracting the smoke.

There are other types of umbrellas, such as, for example:

Sombrerete extractor: they are usually placed when a chimney has difficulties in evacuating gases.
Chinese chimney cap: It is not protected laterally, so the entry of water is very easy to occur. It is not used nowadays.
Sombrerete veleta: it is installed in areas where there are strong winds. This type of parasols require maintenance from time to time.

How to make a chimney cap for a masonry chimney

If you have a masonry chimney, you can choose to buy a metal chimney cap or a masonry chimney cap.

These types of chimney caps are able to maintain an aesthetic with the rest of the work without observing so much the nonconformity.

It is necessary to place a chimney cap in a chimney to prevent water from entering, besides helping to evacuate the smoke created by the combustion of firewood.

What happens if I don’t install a chimney cap?

We can encounter several scenarios:

That our fireplace or wood stove has more draft and wastes more wood. This translates into more consumption and less savings.
That the chimney ends up rusting.
That cold enters through the chimney flue, since it does not have a chimney cap that withstands the pressure.
That on rainy days we have black water running down the chimney flues, to the combustion chamber and thus stain the room.

So, is it necessary to install a chimney cap?

The answer is yes. In fireplaces and wood stoves it is necessary and mandatory.

If you found this article useful, do not hesitate to visit our blog … You will find solutions and recommendations to help you with your fireplace or wood stove!

Visit our online store of Panadero wood stoves

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