Do chimney caps need to be inspected or replaced?
Yes — Brevard gets 80-plus inches of rain a year, and nothing wears a chimney cap down faster than water, so here the cap earns constant attention. Inspect it every year and replace it the moment it rusts, its screen corrodes, or it goes missing — a bare flue in this rainfall is trouble fast.
The rainiest town we serve, and the cap pays for it
Brevard collects more than 80 inches of rain a year, with a long wet stretch from March into June, and water is the single hardest thing on a chimney. It rusts a cap, corrodes the screen, and — once the cap fails — seeps into the crown and flue, then freezes and cracks masonry over the winter. A galvanized cap in this climate can be finished in just a few seasons.
That's why we steer Brevard homeowners to stainless steel or copper without hesitation. It's more up front, but in this rainfall it's the difference between a cap you check and a cap you keep replacing. The yearly inspection catches a corroding screen or a loosening mount before all that water finds its way inside.
Cabins, chases, and propane country
A lot of Brevard's cabin and mountain-modern country — the places out around Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest — runs on propane, and many of those homes vent through a framed chase with a sheet-metal chase cover rather than a tile flue and cap. Those covers pool water at the seams and rust from the middle out, and the crawl spaces and chimney chases here are already prone to moisture damage.
Wherever a propane or gas appliance vents through the flue, running and connecting the fuel is licensed work — we permit that side with Transylvania County and pressure-test the line. The cap keeps the weather out; we handle both, about 40 minutes southwest of our showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I keep birds and animals from nesting in my fireplace vent or chimney?
- Does a masonry chimney need waterproofing or crown maintenance?
- What is a chimney chase cover, and when does it need replacing?
- How long does a chimney liner last, and when should it be replaced?
- Does the flashing where the chimney meets the roof need periodic inspection?