Local chimney cap replacement for Mayport homes

Band-mount caps for tiles with rough edges

Band-mount caps clamp around the outside of the flue tile instead of reaching inside it. A metal band or a set of screws draws the cap's base against the tile's outer faces. This style suits tiles whose inside edge is chipped or out of square, and tiles slightly larger than a slip-in model allows. It still needs the tile to stand clear of the crown by enough height to give the band something to grip.

We tighten the band evenly on every side, because uneven pressure on clay tile concentrates stress at one corner, and a cracked tile turns a cap job into a flue repair. The band's metal matches the cap's, so the two do not corrode against each other.

Copper caps and the fasteners they need

Copper and zinc-coated steel make a small battery when rain connects them, and the zinc and the steel lose. That is the reason a copper cap is fastened with copper or stainless hardware and kept clear of galvanized flashing or an old galvanized screen. Roofing metal suppliers publish the same rule for copper used anywhere on a roof.

When a copper cap replaces a galvanized one, every old screw and clip comes out of the crown. Any nearby galvanized part that has to stay, such as a flashing piece a roofer owns, is kept out of contact with the copper, and its position is noted.

Chimney swifts and the timing of a cap

Chimney swifts nest inside masonry flues, gluing small stick nests to the tile wall, and federal law protects the birds and their active nests. An active nest cannot be removed or sealed in, so a flue in use by swifts waits for its cap until the nestlings have fledged and the flock has moved on. Once they leave, the old nest is cleared and the cap closes the opening before the birds return the next year. If you hear steady chattering in the chimney during the warm months, tell us when you call so the visit is timed properly and nothing is disturbed that should not be.