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3 Great Reasons to Shop for Home Lighting Online
If you are a consumer who knows just what brand or style of lighting fixtures you are looking to buy, the internet can save you money. Conversely, if you are just learning about what lighting fixtures, interior and exterior, are available for your...
5 Steps To Successful Property Investment
When looking to invest in property it’s always important to take a structured approach to ensure you get only what you are looking for. Over the years I’ve developed the following structure and I’ll always stick to it so that I know I have done all...
Garden Sheds - More Than Just Storage
You may already have a garage or a shed in your garden or backyard and its possible that you haven't even considered the prospect of adding a garden shed at all. Any garden implements could easily be stored in the garage or utility area. However,...
Home Safety Tips For Seniors
(NC)—Did you know that in Canada, every day approximately 1000 people celebrate their 50th birthday?
As time goes on, more and more Canadians are staying in their homes longer. Feeling a sense of security is an important part of our decision...
Styles And Varieties Of Locking Mailboxes For Sale
Locking mailboxes made from durable, weatherproof
materials are highly desirable due to the built in safety
features and the long-lasting exterior. Your mail will
arrive safely and be waiting for you upon your return when
you purchase and...
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Checking Your Chimney Caps
While you are cleaning leaves out of your home’s gutters, dealing with Christmas lights, or adjusting a satellite dish, don’t forget to check on your chimney caps while you’re on the roof. Chimney caps are those mesh-sided enclosures (usually made of stainless steel, copper, or galvanized steel) atop your chimney to prevent water, animals, bird droppings, and leaves from entering your home. A once-a-year assessment of your chimney caps’ condition can be well worth your time for protecting your house. Here are four things you can easily check on your chimney caps:
1. Are the chimney caps there?
If there have been high winds in your area, your chimney caps may have blown off. Properly secured chimney caps withstand most high winds, but exceptional winds can do damage, including blowing chimney caps off.
2. Are the chimney caps securely attached?
Time, wild animals, or high winds can degrade the security of your chimney caps’ attachment to your flues or chimneys. You can retighten screws or reapply a sealant if your chimney caps are no longer securely attached.
3. Are the chimney caps rusting through?
Galvanized steel chimney caps generally last about three to five years before they become too rusted to serve their purposes. In salt water environments, galvanized chimney caps corrode even more quickly. Stainless
steel and copper chimney caps usually have lifetime warranties, so they are good replacement choices for those who don’t want to be replacing their chimney caps every few years.
4. Are the sides of your chimney caps clogged?
The mesh or screen sides of your chimney caps may get clogged with leaves or other detritus forced into the mesh by very high winds. More frequently, chimney caps’ mesh can get clogged with soot and creosote, especially if you are using unseasoned, green firewood. This clogging is most common in chimney caps designed with smaller mesh holes for use in wildfire prone areas. If the mesh sides of your chimney caps are clogged, your fireplace’s or woodstove’s draft will be reduced, leading to poor performance or even to a chimney fire.
When you head up to the roof, take along a metal tape measure, paper, and pencil. In case you find you need new chimney caps, you will have the tools at hand to measure your flues or chimney crown for their replacement chimney caps.
About the author:
Susan Penney appreciates simple ways to make our homes renewing spaces for our families. She invites you to visit http://www.fireplacemall.com for fireplace accessories to serve your fire-less or your fire-filled fireplace.
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