Why Every Kingston Chimney Needs a Good Cap

A chimney cap is one of the least expensive parts of your chimney and one of the most valuable. For a small stainless hood over the flue, a Kingston homeowner prevents a long list of costly problems.

Keeps water out

Rain and snow falling straight down an open flue rust the damper, erode the masonry from the inside, and speed up liner damage. Water is the number-one enemy of a chimney, and a cap stops it at the top — the single most effective way to keep moisture out of the flue.

Keeps animals out

Birds, squirrels and raccoons treat an open flue like a hollow tree, and once they nest inside you have a blockage, a fire risk from flammable nesting material, and an animal you cannot simply smoke out or seal in. A capped chimney keeps them out to begin with — nearly every animal call we get is a chimney that never had a cap.

Stops embers and cuts downdraft

The cap’s spark arrestor keeps burning embers from landing on your roof, which matters on dry days and near trees. Its mesh sides also reduce the wind-driven downdraft that pushes smoke and cold air back into the room, improving how the fireplace drafts.

Why material matters

Not all caps are equal. Stainless steel and copper resist corrosion for decades; cheaper galvanized caps rust within a few years, then leak and streak the masonry. We install stainless caps sized to your flue, with mesh strong enough to keep determined raccoons out and fine enough to stop birds. Spending a little more up front means one cap instead of a series of replacements.

Cheap insurance

If your Kingston chimney is uncapped, a cap is the first upgrade we would recommend. It pays for itself the first time it keeps a raccoon, a rainstorm or an ember where it belongs — and it is a quick, affordable install. Pair it with an annual sweep and the top of your chimney is genuinely protected.

Getting the right cap for your flue

A cap only does its job if it fits. Flues come in different sizes and shapes — round, square, rectangular, single or multiple — and a cap that is too small lets weather in around the edges while one poorly secured can blow off in a storm. We size the cap to your specific flue and secure it properly, and for chimneys with multiple flues we can fit a single multi-flue cap that covers them all cleanly. It is a small detail, but a correctly sized and mounted stainless cap is what turns a cheap part into decades of protection for your Kingston chimney.

Published September 26, 2026 · Imperial Chimney Sweepers, DeKalb, IL