Don’t Let Water Ruin Your Prefab Chimney — Invest In A Quality Stainless Steel Or Copper Chase Cover

Many newer homes feature prefabricated chimney and fireplace systems, which are metal systems that are built off-site and installed on-site. While there are many benefits to having a prefabricated chimney system, what most homeowners don’t know is that the chase cover that comes stock on these systems is oftentimes low quality and poorly designed. And because of the important role chase covers play in preventing chimney leaks and water damage, a low-quality or failing chase cover can be a big — and costly — problem, if not addressed early on.

Prefab stainless steel crown cover with homes and trees in the background.
Prefab stainless steel crown with cap on top and ladder leaning against chimney.  Homes and trees in the background.
Sweeps and Ladders - Case Cover Installation
Stainless steel chase cover replacement on red brick fireplace - woods in the background.

What Is A Chase Cover & Why Is It Needed?

Every masonry chimney has a cement slab at the top, which is designed to keep water and animals out. This is known as the crown. But what about prefab chimneys, don’t they need protection too? Yes!

The chase cover is the metal covering that acts as the crown on a prefab or factory-built chimney system. Without it, the chimney is wide open and an easy target for animals, birds, and water — and while these intruders can be damaging to masonry chimneys as well, they can rapidly destroy metal chimney systems.

Following are some of the most obvious signs of a failing chase cover:

  • rust stains running down the chase of your chimney, on your roof, or down the side of your home
  • dripping water in your fireplace when it’s storming out
  • rust or pooling water in your firebox

Unfortunately, by the time these signs are noticeable, water has typically already caused a good bit of damage, which is why we always encourage our customers to keep up with annual chimney inspections — regardless of whether or not you use your chimney. If you’re scheduling inspections each and every year, you should know about vulnerabilities and water problems before extensive damage is done.

Why Do Stock Chase Covers Often Fail To Keep Water Out?

What’s the problem with a lot of stock chase covers, and why do they fail? Let’s take a look…

In order to last and provide decades of protection against chimney leaks, the chase cover needs to be:

Crafted from a high-quality, rust-resistant metal, like stainless steel or copper

Built with cross breaks, which reinforce the cover, make it more rigid, and discourage water pooling

But many stock chase covers and chase covers installed by builders are made of whatever metal they have lying around, typically a galvanized metal. This metal is low-quality and prone to rust, which means these chase covers are more likely to develop leaks over time.

Additionally, these chase covers tend to allow water to pool and rust through, and can even sag and collapse under the weight of the pooling water. Not what you want to worry about!

Our Quality Chase Covers Will Provide Decades Of Protection Against Leaks

Is your prefabricated chimney protected against chimney leaks by a high-quality, well-crafted chase cover, or is it time to find a replacement? If it’s time to have a new chase cover installed, we can help. Here at Sweeps & Ladders, we work hard to keep our customers’ homes in great condition and prevent costly water problems by selling and installing the best chase covers on the market.

Each chase cover is crafted for strength and durability, and designed to provide years and years of protection. And when you have your new chase cover installed by one of the experienced and highly trained chimney professionals here at Sweeps & Ladders, you can be confident the new chase cover will be custom-fitted and installed properly, so you can enjoy maximum leak protection for your prefab chimney. No gaps, no loose areas, and no vulnerable areas for water to enter or gather — guaranteed.

We can also powder-coat your chase cover to meet your design and color preferences — just let us know what you need and we’ll take care of it.

Ready to give your prefab or factory-built chimney the leak protection it needs? Call 615-791-7457 or click here to have a CSIA-certified chimney sweep replace your chase cover with one that’s built to last and last.

 

Installing the right chimney cap for your chimney system could fix your chimney leak and keep you and your family dry and warm.

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