Michigan Chimney Cap Install Company
Chimney Cap Installation For Wildlife Prevention
Chimneys come in all shapes and sizes, but never the less wildlife will find them. Bats, birds, raccoons, and squirrels will all end up in your fireplaces. This can be avoided with a simple installation of a chimney cap. The chimney in the photo was filled with bats because there was no chimney cap on it. The colony of bats gained access right through the top of the chimney. We had to make a temporary screen and an exclusion tube to exclude the bats before we could get rid of them. Once the bats were excluded we could remove the temporary screen and install a 9x9 chimney cap. This is a common problem we find with these types of chimneys. Even if there is a chimney cap it's usually the flashing around the chimney cap which isn't properly installed correctly.
Bats in the chimney
If you have bats in the chimney chances are you have some chimney damage or you are missing a chimney cap. Bats typically enter your chimney through loose mortar joints or tuck points. A common point of entry for getting a bat in the house is through the fireplace. If you have bats in the fireplace or chimney check out our how to get rid of bats website.
Raccoons in the chimney
Raccoons in the chimney are a common problem during birthing season. Raccoons will create a nursery right about the damper in the fireplace. You will often hear baby raccoons which may even sound like birds chirping. We use a simple tool to remove the raccoons from your chimney. This process usually takes about 45 minutes. Once the mother raccoon and babies are out we will install a chimney cap for you.
Birds in the Chimney
If you have birds in the chimney this means you are missing a chimney cap. The most common type of bird in the chimney is a chimney swift. This is a protected bird, living in your chimney. Although we have found several types of birds in the chimney. We have removed starlings, ducks, and owls from chimneys in the past.
Squirrels in the Chimney
A lot of times squirrels end up in your chimney by accident. They find an opening atop your chimney and become curious or simply fall in. Once squirrels have fallen in your chimney they get stuck. On rare occasions, we do find a nest of squirrels in the chimney. Once in Birmingham, MI we removed a large nest of baby squirrels.
How Our Chimney Cap Services Work
Most chimney caps are much different than the one in the picture. This is for a gas furnace so the lining is run right through the inside of the chimney stack. If the proper chimney cap is not installed it will leave all the areas around the lining open for bats and other critters to get in. Keep in mind, just capping the chimney without the installation of the one-way door would have trapped the bats in the chimney. Once the bats are in you have to get them out, but if the chimney was capped properly the bats would not have made it in. Sometimes more is needed than just capping the chimney to keep bats out. Most chimney cap sizes are not small enough to keep bats out. They will keep other nuisance wildlife out like raccoons, birds, and squirrels, but not bats. Installing a 1/2" hardware cloth underneath the cap will help to keep bats from penetrating. DO NOT just install hardware cloth with no cap, because it could pile up with leaves or snow and keep it from properly ventilating.
Chimney Capping Will Save More Than The Life of Your Chimney
Animals often get trapped inside your chimney or fireplace. Ducks, owls, squirrels, hawks, and baby raccoons often fall through the top of your chimney because there is no cap. This animal can not get out like bats, chimney swifts, and adult raccoons. A dead animal is a very hard animal to get rid of. Some dead animals fall to your fireplace or into your clean-out, but sometimes they get caught on a ledge inside of your chimney. Sometimes chimney sweeping the flue can get rid of the dead critter, but this isn't always the case. Most times the animal will just decay in your chimney causing an awful odor. So don't wait until there is a dead animal, get the chimney capped to prevent the wildlife from entering.
What if My Chimney is Already Capped?
If your chimney already has a cap on it then you are on the right start. If you're having a problem with nuisance wildlife, then it's still a good idea to have it inspected during your initial home inspection. We can check to make sure the cap is properly installed, is not broken, and there are no potential entry points around it. Sometimes homeowners with bat problems will get bats in the chimney or fireplace even when the chimney is capped. Proper sealing or screening can prevent the bats from entering the chimney. The image to the right shows how we had to screen around one of the openings on the chimney cap to keep the bats out. The top of the chimney cap is fine, but around the middle of the chimney cap, there was an opening where the bats were slipping through. We took some 1/2" hardware cloth and sealed it with some windows and siding silicone.
Chimney Sweeping and Cleaning
If you have a problem with wildlife in your chimney or fireplace you will probably want your chimney flue cleaned and sanitized. We carry chimney sweeping rods on all of our trucks to help get rid of wildlife and clean them out. We can run a sweeping rod up and down the flue of your chimney to clean out all the unwanted waste and materials. After all of the urine and feces are out of the chimney we will vacuum them up with a hepa filtered shop vacuum. We can spray a disinfectant in the chimney to kill off any odors or foreign bacteria and fungi.
Proper Installation of Chimney Caps
Choosing the right size is the first thing to do. Standard flu sizes come in 9x9, 13x9, and 13x13. Most chimney caps will come in galvanized metal and stainless steel metal. We recommend installing a stainless steel cap to prevent rusting. Galvanized caps will work fine though. With birds, raccoons, and squirrels just installing the cap will work fine. With bats it is recommended to install a 1/2" hardware cloth underneath the cap to keep the bats out. Do not use anything smaller than a 1/2" hardware cloth, because it can get filled with soot and build up ice during the winter. This will cause house fires and gases back up into the home. Double-flue chimneys may require a special type of chimney cap. These are not always carried on our trucks and may need to be specially ordered.
Chimney Swifts Are a Real Nuisance
So we've talked about squirrels, raccoons, and bats living in the chimney and fireplace now we have to talk about chimney swifts. Loud screeching noises come bellowing through your home from the fireplace. This is most likely chimney swifts. Chimney swifts are a type of black bird that lives in Michigan. There really isn't a lot you can do right away to get rid of a nest of chimney swifts. Most chimney swifts make their nest somewhere in the middle of the chimney making it impossible to get to without damaging the nest and killing the birds. We typically wait for the young to be raised and then return to the home to clean out the chimney and cap it. If the birds are adults and still live in your chimney we can install a one-way door on your Chimney stack to get rid of them. Then once the birds are out we can install the proper cap to keep them from returning.
How Much Do Chimney Caps Cost?
Well, this really depends on the type of chimney cap and how high we go up to install it. Most chimney caps can range anywhere from $100-$200 to install. If there are other services such as animal removal or chimney sweeping then additional estimates will be given. For more information on chimney cap pricing and other chimney services click on the free online quote button.
We service over 14 counties in Michigan for chimney cap jobs. See our service area to see if we are in your area. Looking for a professional wildlife control expert specializing in the chimney cap process, but not sure who to hire? Click here for information on hiring a wildlife control expert.
If you have bats in the chimney, raccoons in the fireplace, or birds in the chimney and you live in Michigan we service you. Common areas we serve throughout our service area are: Bay City, Dewitt, Eagle, Elsie, Fowler, Maple Rapids, Ovid, St. Johns, Westphalia, Bellevue, Charlotte, Dimondale, Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Mulliken, Olivet, Potterville, Sunfield, Vermontville, Waverly, Burton, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Linden, Montrose, Mount Morris, Otisville, Swartz Creek, Dansville, East Lansing, Lansing, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Stockbridge, Webberville, Williamston, Jackson, Grass Lake, Almont, Attica, Clifford,Columbiaville, Dryden, Imlay City, Lapeer, Metamora, North Branch, Otter Lake, Argentine, Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Armada, Center Line, Chesterfield, Clinton, Eastpointe, Memphis, Mount Clemons, New Baltimore, New Haven, Romeo, Saint Claire Shores, Shelby, Sterling Heights, Utica, Warren, Midland, Carleton, Dundee, Estral Beach, Luna Pier, Maybee, Monroe, Petersburg, South Rockwood, Auburn Hills, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Holly, Lake Orion, Madison Heights, Milford, Novi, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Troy, Walled lake, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Wolverine Lake, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Merrill, Oakley, Saginaw, St. Charles, Zilwaukee, Bancroft, Byron, Corunna, Durand, Lainsburg, Lennon, Morrice, New Lothrop, Owosso, Perry, Vernon, Akron, Caro, Cass City, Fairgrove, Gagetown, Kingston, Millingston, Reese, Unionville, Vassar, Ann Arbor, Barton Hills, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Canton, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Wayne, Westland. For more areas we service visit our locations page.