Chimney animal removal and screened caps in Ybor City

Capping a chimney used by swifts

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages homeowners not to cap or screen chimneys that swifts use, because the birds depend on them for nesting. The same guidance says a chimney with a metal liner should be capped, since animals can be trapped inside a smooth metal flue.

Some homeowners choose to leave a masonry chimney open for the birds, and others decide to cap it after the season. We explain both paths honestly and do the work you choose at the right time of year.

Whichever you choose, the chimney is swept before it is capped, so old nest material does not stay in the flue under a new cap.

Squirrels and smooth metal flues

Squirrels explore chimney tops and sometimes fall in. A smooth metal liner gives them nothing to climb, which is why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends capping chimneys that have a metal liner so animals are not trapped.

Once a squirrel is out of the chimney, the fix is a cap sized for the flue with a screen it cannot get through. We check the liner and the top of the flue for damage from the visit before the cap is fitted.

A squirrel that cannot escape may scratch at the damper and the firebox while trying, which is one more reason to act promptly once one is heard.

Chimneys with more than one flue

A masonry chimney may hold two or more flues, for example a fireplace flue alongside another appliance flue. An animal can be in any of them, and each one needs checking before the top is closed.

Depending on the chimney, the flues can be covered by one cap that spans the crown or by a separate cap on each flue. We explain which suits your chimney and make sure every flue is clear before any cap goes on.

If one of the flues serves an appliance that is still in use, that flue gets extra attention, because a nest there affects how the appliance vents.

Galvanized or stainless steel cap screens

Cap screens have to resist heat and corrosion at least as well as 19-gauge galvanized or 24-gauge stainless steel under Florida's residential code. A cap built to either standard can meet the rule.

The difference shows over time. Galvanized steel relies on its zinc coating, while stainless steel does not depend on a coating in the same way. We explain how each is likely to hold up on your chimney and let you choose.