It goes without saying that you want all of the visitors in your home to be ones that were invited in — and that includes animals. But when your chimney’s flue isn’t topped with a chimney cap, animals of various kinds will take that as an open invitation to move into your chimney and into your home. And since your chimney isn’t the only vent open to the outdoors, it’s not your only animal concern — your dryer vent can allow animals to make their way in as well.
The most efficient way to prevent animal intruders is to have a chimney cap or animal guard installed by Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps.
Birds, squirrels, raccoons, bats and even snakes have been known to enter homes through a chimney that doesn’t have a chimney cap or an animal guard protecting it. It makes sense: Your chimney is a tall structure that can offer protection to nesting animals. Unfortunately, although adult birds and animals can often leave your chimney as easily as they came into it, their babies aren’t as capable. If they can’t exit by climbing up, their natural reaction is to try and get down, which brings them into your home, causing considerable damage along the way as they frantically try to escape. If they don’t make it out of your chimney at all, they’ll likely die, causing an array of other problems, including odors and maggot infestations.
Wild animals that come into your home bring annoying noises and unwanted smells, but they routinely bring along bigger concerns, too. They bring highly-flammable nesting materials that block your flue; fleas, lice and other insects; and rabies and other diseases that can put you and your family at risk. Raccoons, in particular, are known for being vicious, and can make their way into your home through your fireplace opening.
Removing animals isn’t easy, and with certain animals, it can be particularly complicated. Chimney swifts are federally-protected birds that love to nest in chimneys, and they cannot be forcibly removed. Bats are another protected species. If these animals make their way into your chimney, you’ll have to wait for them to leave on their own. Call Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps if you find that birds or bats are living in your chimney — after they’ve left, we can clean everything out, check for damages and install a chimney cap to keep you from having problems in the future.
If you’ve heard animal noises in your chimney, make sure the chimney is swept and inspected before you use it, and have Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps install a chimney cap to protect your system going forward.
Keeping animals out is an important part of the chimney cap’s role in your chimney system, but it’s not the only assistance it provides. Chimney caps also work to keep rain and snow from getting into your open flue, and certain chimney caps can even provide other forms of protection and augmentation.
Quality chimney caps include a mesh screen that works to keep sparks from igniting nearby trees, leaves and brush. Windy weather can cause chimney drafting problems that inhibit your chimney’s proper function and contribute to dispersion of those sparks. Draft-inducing chimney caps can often help correct drafting issues, and in the process, minimize spark problems (Enervex exhaust fans are also great fixes for draft issues). Chimney caps with spark arrestors are essential for homes on wooded properties.
Take preventative action and “Bless Your Hearth” by having Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps install a functional and beautiful chimney cap and animal guard atop your system. Call us or make your appointment online, today!
The installation of the right chase cover can add years of life to your prefabricated chimney system. Ask us for more details about these special chimney products.