The day I stopped trusting every old chimney cap I see

For a long time, I figured if a chimney cap was on there and looked okay from the ground, it was probably fine. That changed last fall on a job in Bellingham. The house had a standard looking stainless cap, maybe 10 years old. I got up on the roof and gave it a routine tug before starting the sweep. The whole thing, bolts and all, came off in my hand. The metal around the bolt holes had rusted through completely from the inside out. The homeowner was shocked, said their last sweep never mentioned it. Now, I physically check and try to move every single cap, no matter how solid it looks. I've found three more with the same hidden rust since then. How many of you make a point to give caps a proper hands-on check during an inspection?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.daniel1mo ago

Yeah, I was the same way for years. If it wasn't obviously falling apart from the ground, I'd just note it looked fine. Had one come loose in my hand too, the base plate was totally gone but the top looked perfect. Now I make a point to climb up and give it a solid wiggle, even if it's a pain. Found a couple where the screws just spun in rust.

veramiller1mo ago

But what if you can't reach it?

paige_ellis591mo ago

Look, sometimes you gotta be practical. Not every roof is safe or easy to get on, and not every customer wants to pay for the extra time it takes to do a full hands-on check of something that looks fine. I've seen plenty of caps that are clearly brand new or in perfect shape from a ladder inspection. If you go poking and pulling at everything, you risk damaging a good seal or stripping a screw yourself, and then you're on the hook for it. A visual check from up close is often enough for a pro to spot major issues, and you can always recommend a closer look next time if you see any warning signs.