This Arvada chimney had lost the cap off its metal flue, leaving it wide open to rain, sparks and nesting birds. In the clip our tradesman fits a new stainless spark-arrestor cap over the pipe, then seals the collar so the whole joint sheds water. It is a small job that quietly protects everything below it, the flue, the firebox and the ceiling underneath.
What is happening in this clip
The new cap is worked down over the galvanized flue, seated square so the spark screen sits level, then the collar where it meets the pipe is sealed all the way around with a weatherproof bead. What was an open pipe is closed to weather and wildlife in one visit.
Why a missing cap costs you more later
An uncapped flue lets rain run straight down onto the damper and firebox, rusting steel and cracking masonry from the inside. It invites birds and squirrels to nest, and it lets embers reach the roof. A cap heads off all three at once, which is why it is the cheapest repair on the roof.
Built for the weather off the Front Range
Arvada rooftops take hail, heavy spring snow and hard chinook wind. A stainless cap and a properly sealed collar are what stay put and stay watertight through all of it, where a loose or rusted cap rattles off in the first big gust.