Storm collars, chase covers and the termination cap
Where the flue passes up through the chase cover, a storm collar, a metal ring clamped around the flue, sheds water away from the opening. A loose or missing collar is one of the simplest leak repairs on a prefab chimney and one of the easiest to overlook.
Above the collar sits the termination cap, which is part of the listed system and is replaced with the manufacturer's matching part. The chase cover below it is fabricated to size and should be pitched so water runs off rather than pooling.
Corroded or separated metal flue sections
Inside the chase, the flue is a stack of sections locked together, with firestops where it passes through ceilings and floors. Water getting into the chase corrodes the outer casing; a chimney fire can distort the inner liner; building work nearby can knock sections apart.
CRC R1005.1 requires factory-built chimneys to be installed per the manufacturer's instructions, so damaged sections are replaced with parts listed for that chimney. A camera run through the flue shows separation and distortion that cannot be seen from the firebox.
Tell us what the outside of the chase is clad in and whether you can find the fireplace's model plate. Estimates cost nothing — describe the job and we will come back to you.
When a discontinued model decides the repair
Factory-built fireplaces are tested to UL 127 as complete assemblies: fire chamber, chimney and roof parts together. Once the original maker stops supplying parts, the options narrow to a replacement chimney system listed for use with that fireplace, or replacing fireplace and chimney as a set.
The data plate on the fireplace is where this starts. Without the model, nobody can say which parts belong to it.
Where the house has a brick chimney instead
Where a Santa Clarita house is older, or was built with a custom fireplace, it may have a masonry chimney, and the repairs are different: crowns, mortar joints and flue tile. Bracing is worth raising too; Earthquake Country Alliance names inadequately braced chimneys as a common problem.
Approvals and the variables in the estimate
The City of Santa Clarita decides what approvals chimney work needs, so ask its building department before replacing a chimney system or altering a chase.
- 1Whether listed parts are still available for the model.
- 2Stucco or siding on the chase, and how much has to be opened.
- 3Chase height and roof pitch.
- 4Whether water has damaged the framing inside the chase.
- 5Interior finishes, if the flue has to be reached from inside the house.