Why Chimney Chase Cover Replacement in Flower Mound Is So Common
Most Flower Mound homes built from the 1990s on do not have a brick chimney. They have a factory-built metal fireplace with a metal flue pipe, and the pipe runs up inside a wood-framed box called a chase, wrapped in siding or brick veneer to look like a chimney. The top of that box is sealed by a sheet-metal chase cover. Builders almost always used galvanized steel, and in North Texas humidity it rusts through in 10 to 15 years. Flower Mound Chimney Sweep Professionals replaces rusted chase covers with stainless steel on homes in Bridlewood, Wellington, Lakeside DFW, Highland Village, Lewisville and across the area.
A chase cover does the job a crown does on a masonry chimney. When it fails, water runs into the chase and down the flue pipe. The first thing most homeowners notice is a rust streak on the siding, a stain on the ceiling by the fireplace, or water in the firebox after a storm.
Signs Your Chase Cover Needs Replacing
- Rust-colored streaks running down the chase from the top
- Orange rust spots or holes visible on the cover from the roof
- A dip in the center of the cover where water pools
- Water running down the metal flue into the firebox after rain
- A rusted firebox top or rusted fireplace screen track
- Soft, swollen or peeling siding near the top of the chase
- A storm collar that is loose or missing around the flue pipe
- The home is 15 years old or more and the cover has never been replaced
Rust on the siding alone is enough to book a roof check. We photograph the cover and the inside of the chase, and if the framing is still dry, a new cover is the whole repair.
How We Replace a Chase Cover
- Inspect. From the roof we photograph the cover, the storm collar and the cap. We check the top of the chase framing for rot and the flue pipe for rust and gaps, and we look down the flue with a camera.
- Measure. Length, width, the overhang needed on each side, and the exact position and size of every flue pipe hole.
- Quote. Written price for the cover, the collar and the install. The estimate is free. If chase framing is rotted, that is a separate line on the same estimate.
- Build. The cover is fabricated in stainless steel to those measurements, cross-broken so the center is high, with a drip edge turned down on all sides and a raised collar around each pipe hole.
- Install. We remove the old cover, repair any sheathing at the top, set the new cover, fit a storm collar around the pipe, seal the collar and reinstall or replace the cap. Then photos of the finished top.
Most replacements are done in a half day once the cover is fabricated. Lead time for the cover is usually about a week.
What Makes a Chase Cover Last
| Detail | Builder-grade cover | What we install |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Galvanized steel, rusts in 10 to 15 years | Stainless steel |
| Top | Flat, water pools in the center | Cross-broken, water runs off |
| Edges | Short skirt, water wicks under | Drip edge turned down on all four sides |
| Pipe hole | Cut flush, sealed with caulk only | Raised collar plus storm collar, sealed |
| Fit | Stock size, gaps at the corners | Built to the measured chase |
The cover sits on top of a listed factory-built chimney system, so the flue pipe, storm collar and cap all have to match the fireplace manufacturer’s parts. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association’s consumer information on hearth products covers how factory-built fireplaces are listed and why parts should not be mixed. We identify your fireplace from its label before ordering anything.
Chimney Cap Installation
The cap sits on the flue pipe above the chase cover, and a rusted galvanized cap is usually as old as the cover. We replace both in one visit when they are both failing. The chimney cap installation page explains how prefab caps are matched to the fireplace brand.
Chimney Siding and Chase Repair
When water has been getting past the cover for years, the top of the chase framing and the sheathing under the siding rot. A new cover on rotted framing does not have anything solid to sit on. Our chimney siding and chase repair service reframes and re-sides the chase, then tops it with the new stainless cover.
Chimney Leak Repair
If you have a stain near the fireplace and are not sure whether it is the chase cover, the flashing or the cap, book a chimney leak repair visit and we test each one. On prefab chimneys the chase cover is the source more often than not, but flashing at the base of the chase is a close second, covered under chimney flashing repair. For everything else, see the main chimney repair page.
Book Chimney Chase Cover Replacement in Flower Mound
Flower Mound Chimney Sweep Professionals is veteran-owned and based on Long Prairie Rd in Flower Mound 75028. We replace chimney chase covers in Flower Mound, Lewisville, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Fort Worth and Collin County, 7 days a week from 7 AM to 8 PM. Call (817) 518-6131 or send the form on this page. You get roof photos, a free written estimate and a firm price before we start. If you would rather begin with a full check of the chimney, book a chimney inspection.
