A chimney cap is placed the top of the chimney to prevent rain, animals, and debris from entering the chimney flues while still allowing fumes to exhaust. The can come in both standard and custom sizes and in a variety of metals, materials ranging from a standard look to more ornate pieces.
The crown is the protective neck on the top of your masonry chimney. It is traditionally made of concrete and is used to protect and cover the upper tier of the chimney from the elements.
Brick and mortar are used to construct the exterior of most chimneys. Every couple of years they could need repointing and possibly waterproofing due to weather and other erosion.
The chimney flue is the interior area of the chimney that exhausts either the fireplace, wood stove, gas stove, or heating system appliances. Each one of these have their own flue and will need to be lined with the proper lining and cleaned individually, every year.
The fireplace flue liner is a metal insert within the chimney itself that safely exhausts fumes and keeps hazardous chemicals from leaking into the home or business. The liner travels as one singular piece that runs from top to bottom of the chimney and comes in different lengths and diameters to suit your specific needs. Each chimney usually has a flue that exhausts either a fireplace, stove or heating system appliances and all of these would have their own dedicated liner specifically for that flue’s use.
Each of these liners, specifically the ones dedicated to your heating system appliances will need to be cleaned once a year.
Your furnace or boiler (hot water heater) exhausts through separate flues within your chimney. This means if you have a fireplace as well, you may have more than 2 flues in your chimney. These flues will need to be cleaned once a year.
Flashing is thin metal that is found around the base of the chimney where is connects to the roof. This metal is installed to keep water from entering your chimney by permeating your roof. This layer keeps any moisture from rain or other elements from getting into the chimney. You can find flashing at the joints of the chimney where the roof meets the chimney.
The wythe is the vertical section of interior masonry wall that separates each flue from each other when a chimney contains more than one flue.
A decorative ledge or shelf on the façade above the firebox opening. Its purpose is mostly aesthetic and it seems to be the most recognizable feature of a fireplace.
A triangular area directly above the firebox that creates a clear passage for exhausting the firebox up the flue. beginning of the fireplace’s chimney liner is called the smoke chamber.
A bottom damper is a metal plate right above you smoke chamber that has a handle which opens and closes the flue to allow fumes to escape up the chimney and exhaust from your home or business. You must always have the damper OPEN when you start a fire.
A top damper is a metal device at the top of your chimney that is controlled by a chain that is located just inside the smoke chamber that you can pull to open and close the flue to exhaust fumes from the chimney. You must always have the damper OPEN when you start a fire.
Glass or fireplace screen doors help protect your home or business from sparks, fire or embers that may escape from the fireplace or stove through the front of your appliance. Most glass doors have to be custom made for fireplaces or an appropriate standard size to suit your needs.
A firebox is built of firebrick and/ or mortar and is essentially where you build your fires. It helps to insulate the fire and keep it within your fireplace.
A firewood grate is a metal device that lifts the logs off of the firebox floor. It helps with air circulation while the fire is burning as well.
An ash pit that collects the ash buildup from the firebox. Constructed of non-combustible masonry materials.
A closable, non-combustible metal opening, below the fireplace to allow access to the ash pit.
A chimney exhaust fan is an electrical unit that sits at the top of a chimney and is hardwired by a licensed electrician. The unit is hardwired to a variable speed switch on the wall inside the home to help exhaust the fumes of a fire and induce a better draft. You can control the switch to raise and lower the strength and intensity of your fire.
