Chimney Caps in Kendall, FL

Kendall chimneys need a properly fitted cap for a straightforward reason: this part of Miami-Dade gets drenched from above during summer storm season, and anything left open at the top of a flue or chase is an invitation for water, wildlife, and debris to move in. The Everglades weather that builds over western Miami-Dade and dumps across The Hammocks and Kendall Lakes doesn't care whether you used the fireplace last month or last decade, the top of your chimney is exposed all the same.

Chimney Caps: What the Work Looks Like

The kind of chimney caps work we handle for Kendall homeowners, swipe to see more.

Why Kendall Homes Need Chimney Caps

What we find when a cap is missing or failing depends on the home. On masonry chimneys, an absent or cracked cap allows rainwater to fall directly onto the smoke shelf and into the firebox, and standing water in the firebox accelerates rust on the damper and softens the refractory mortar at the firebox floor. On the prefab systems common across the post-Andrew subdivisions, a deteriorated cap on the flue pipe lets moisture into the metal liner, where it creates the rust and flaking that eventually shows up as debris inside the firebox. We also routinely find that birds and squirrels have built nests in uncapped flues.

We size and fit the cap to the specific flue opening or chase top, which matters more than it sounds. A cap that's slightly too small can blow off in a hard storm; one that's poorly fitted can allow driven rain to enter at the edges. For masonry flues, we use multi-flue covers where the chimney has multiple openings. For prefab chases, we fit chase covers from the correct gauge material with a slight pitch to shed water rather than pool it. Everything is secured so it stays put through a South Florida summer.

If you're not sure whether your cap is still doing its job, or whether you even have one, it's worth finding out before the next storm season begins. A missing or failed cap is one of the least expensive chimney problems to fix and one of the most damaging to ignore. We'll check it as part of any visit and tell you exactly what we find.

Signs You Need Chimney Caps

• You can see the cap is missing, rusted through, bent, or crushed
• Birds, squirrels, or the sound of animals in the chimney
• Leaves and debris collecting inside the flue or firebox
• Rain coming straight down the flue or moisture in the firebox after storms

How It Works