Protect Your Prefab Chimney With A Quality Chase Top!
A chase top or chase cover is a metal cover that acts much like a crown for pre-fabricated or manufactured fireplaces & chimney systems. Prefab fireplaces have been on the market for about 25 years and have been a huge hit with homeowners who like how affordable they can be and how easy they are to have installed. The majority of these factory-built fireplaces are made of metal, and all of them need to be outfitted with a metal chase top. They should never be outfitted with concrete crowns, as this leads the prefab pipe to rust and erode.
What Does A Chase Top do?
Chase tops serve primarily to keep water out of your chimney, but they also keep birds and other critters out. Did you know that most birds prefer to nest in prefab chimneys instead of in masonry chimneys? The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reports that it’s common for chimney sweeps to find entire buckets of nesting material inside a prefab chimney. Fire hazard! Not only can these nests catch fire, but they can impede the flow of air and cause the chimney to overheat. You can read more about animals nesting in chimneys on our page dedicated to the topic.
Why A Rusty Chase Top Is a Problem?
If you have a prefab fireplace with a rusty chase top, it needs to be replaced before it begins to leak. Chimney leaks can be extremely detrimental to your property—costing you thousands in repairs to drywall, floors, ceilings, attics, and wall coverings. This leaking normally originates where nail holes have begun to rust and erode. The longer you wait to have your rusty chase top repaired or replaced, the worse the problem could become and the bigger headache you could end up with.
Most of the chase top Davis Chimney installs today are made of galvanized metal and come with 10-year warranties when properly maintained. Many are shaped so that they create a roof effect that prevents water from pooling on top and becoming a breeding ground for rust. Our technicians also double caulk around our chase tops, taking great care to prevent leaking for the life of your chase top and chimney.
One last note: If you have a prefab chimney, don’t think that exempts you from the annual inspection that we recommend to our customers with masonry chimneys. Prefab chimneys need inspections just as badly to rule out efficiency issues, fire hazards, draft problems, and other safety concerns.
Live in the greater Beaumont Texas area? If you have a chase top that needs replacing or if your problem has anything to do with a chimney, consider it fixed. Give Davis Chimney a call today, or use our appointment request form!
Discover the benefits and advantages of a top-sealing damper when you consult with Davis Chimney about this and other chimney repairs.
