Chimney caps are useful for protecting your chimney against rain, and they also prevent animals and debris from entering your home. If you’re in need of a new one, the knowledgeable experts at Absolute Chimney Service in Kennebunkport, ME, can help. Their team has been providing area residents with chimney repair and maintenance services, as well as parts, for nearly 40 years. Here, they explain how to identify which type of chimney cap you need.

Most prefabricated chimneys have either air-cooled chimney pipes or insulated solid-pack pipes. To determine which type of cap you need, you must check to see which type of pipe you have.

An air-cooled chimney pipe will either have double or triple walls. You’ll be able to see each layer of the pipe when you look down into it from above. If you still have a cap on top of your pipe, you may need to remove it to verify whether you have an air-cooled chimney pipe.

On the other hand, insulated solid-pack chimney pipes appear as one pipe. You may also be able to tell whether you have an insulated solid-pack pipe by lightly tapping the outside wall with a screwdriver or another small tool. If you don’t hear any vibrations, it likely means you have an insulated pipe. If a sound rings out, you probably have an air-cooled pipe.

Once you know which type of pipe your chimney has, you can then purchase the right chimney cap to replace your existing or missing one. The team at Absolute Chimney Service offers a range of affordable options and can recommend a style that will fit your chimney seamlessly. To discuss caps or any other chimney repair needs you may have, call their team at (207) 967-2274. You can also visit their website to learn more about their full range of services.