Why Should I Cap or put a Cowl on my Chimney?

There are four main reasons why installing a Chimney Cowl or Disused Chimney Cap is a good idea:

To Improve Draw

Certain Chimney Cowls are designed to allow hot air and fumes to be more efficiently extracted by the flue pipe. For flue systems with a particularly weak draw, a Rotating Chimney Cowl or our Super H Chimney Cowl is recommended. Please note however, such cowls should not be used in cases where there is no draw problem, as they can actually be counterproductive and cause your fire or stove to overfire.

Anti-Downdraught

Downdraught is not just a nuisance, it can actually be dangerous to you and your family. As well as creating unpleasant odours in your home, the smoke can contain high volumes of CO (Carbon Monoxide) which is toxic and hazardous to health. So if downdraught is a problem, it is important that you take steps to install a suitable anti-downdraught chimney cowl as soon as possible. Please select the following link to view our anti-downdraught range.

Animal Proofing

Bird guard chimney cowls are designed to prevent birds and other animals, such as squirrels, from nesting in your chimney, which is a common problem. Worse still, it’s not unusual for animals to actually fall down the chimney. This can result in them either falling into your fireplace and getting into your home, or causing a dangerous obstruction inside the chimney. In all cases, animals are the scourge of the fireplace. By blocking the chimney using a bird guard device, you keep things safe for both yourself and the animals in your neighbourhood.

Weather Proofing from Rain Ingress, Freeze and Thaw Cycles

Rain and snow can cause issues for your chimney flue. A little rain may not be a problem, but over time it can accumulate moisture (particularly in months where the fireplace is not in use) which will damage your chimney and be costly to repair. The same is true of snow, though if you are lighting the fire often during snowy seasons, this will help evaporate any moisture. A birdguard will help eliminate any such problems.