Chimneys are a mystery or an afterthought to many, thanks to just how out of reach and oft-used they are. When storms arrive and rainfalls, that sometimes means that rain comes down your chimney, something that can get annoying quickly. Millions of people deal with rain-related chimney issues, whether with weathering, mold, wet flooring, or more. It can be difficult to stop these problems without the right assistance, so this article is here to help. Whether you’re currently dealing with rain issues or are just being proactive, here’s how to prevent rain from coming down the chimney.

chimney cap

  • Find What Can Go Wrong

The first step is to find what can go wrong; whether this means you’re already dealing with rain coming down your chimney, or not, it’s important to start at the beginning. This means looking for things that can go wrong. Cracks dips, bends, gaps; they’re all things that could inevitably lead towards rain entering through your chimney.

Many issues occur at the top of the chimney on the chimney crown, cap, or flashing. Generally, there aren’t too many issues occurring on the side of the chimney or running down your property, although it’s definitely important to look for cracks, nonetheless. When looking for potential problems in the future, look for cracks and openings; chimneys are built to last, but many fixes can be temporary. Chimney pans are a great example, as they’re oftentimes put in as temporary fixes. These aluminum trays can potentially rust or cave in with high amounts of water. Bricks and mortar can crack, and leaks can appear.

  • Check For Any Structural Problems

Chimneys are built to last; that’s true. However, that motto means that many structural issues can become major. Sometimes bricks will shift, your home or property will settle, and the chimney can be affected as a result. Over time, chimneys suffer wear and tear from not only outside sources but also inside sources. If you utilize a fireplace often, the fires and burns can eat away at the inside of your chimney.

There’s also the potential for exterior issues, such as constant sunshine and heat, wind exposure, and rain. If any issues are surface-level, then can move past quickly. Water is a great example, as it’ll seep into any cracks, freeze, expand, then crack further. When it melts again and refreezes, it’ll do the process again, but deeper. This means that a surface crack can soon lead to an entirely structural issue, as it can break vital aspects of a chimney or shift the entire thing.

  • Invest in a Quality Chimney Cap

Arguably the most important aspect of your chimney is its cap. A chimney cap is designed to prevent anything from entering your chimney, in a way that lets everything inside, out. Rain, wind, heat, animals, leaves; they’re all no issue for a chimney cap. 

The issue is that if you don’t have one, you’re exposed to all of those, and more. Even if you do have one, if it’s not properly fitting, it can result in some issues. By investing in a chimney cap, whether commercially available or custom-designed by a company like Master Cap, it’ll likely prevent any rain from coming down. After all, these devices are built to last, especially against things like rain or precipitation. 

  • Call the Professionals

While it might seem silly at first to call a professional to take a look at, and/or repair your chimney, it’s definitely not. Rain might seem like a nuisance, but things can go very, very south from there. Weathering, collapse, animal damage, electrical damage, fire issues, monoxide poisoning; they’re just a few issues that can pop up alongside rain.

You can contact Master Cap today to get information and/or schedule a visit to help take care of your problems or proactively prevent them. Our team is standing by for calls or messages, and we’re ready to help. Master Cap specializes in high-quality chimney caps, custom-made to ensure that they’ll protect both you and your property from outside damage. There’s the added benefit that, while installing the chimney cap, our experts will be able to view any potential damages or future issues. Afterward, if our team can’t fix it, we’ll refer you to a qualified company that can. Finding help in Master Cap is just a phone call away!

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