How do I keep birds and animals from nesting in my fireplace vent or chimney?
Brevard's 80-plus inches of annual rain is as hard on a chimney cap as any animal — it rusts the mesh, spalls the brick around it, and opens gaps that birds and squirrels slip through. A stainless cap resists that corrosion on masonry flues; on the propane cabins out toward Connestee Falls, the sealed vent termination's built-in screen does the job.
Where the rain does the animals' work
In a drier town a cap fails slowly; in Transylvania County, the wet season from March through June accelerates everything — a galvanized or thin cap corrodes, the crown cracks, and by the time nesting season peaks there's an opening a swift or a raccoon will exploit. Stainless holds up where cheaper metal simply rusts through.
Brevard's crawl spaces and chimney chases stay damp too, so we check the whole termination path, not just the top of the flue. A rusted screen on a propane fireplace's sidewall vent is every bit as much an invitation as a missing masonry cap.
Propane country and the licensed side of it
Much of Brevard and the surrounding cabins run on propane, and connecting or repairing that venting is licensed gas-contractor work permitted through Transylvania County — a mason can rebuild a wet crown but can't legally touch the fuel side. If a nest is already in there, skip the fire: a plugged flue backs up smoke and carbon monoxide, and many of these birds are federally protected.
We clear the nest, dry-check the flue for water damage, and cap it against both the wildlife and the next downpour — not just one or the other.
Two trades, one accountable call
A wet Brevard chimney often needs both a mason's hand on the crown and a licensed gas contractor's on the venting, and stitching that across two companies is how homeowners end up half-finished before nesting season comes back around. We handle the fuel and venting side and coordinate the masonry so the cap goes back on right the first time. 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
- Do chimney caps need to be inspected or replaced?
- What should I check on the outside vent cap of a direct vent fireplace?
- How often should the venting on a direct vent gas fireplace be inspected?
- Does an outdoor wood-burning fireplace chimney need sweeping too?
- How do I know when my chimney needs to be swept?