Toronto has one of the densest urban raccoon populations anywhere, and an uncapped chimney looks like a perfect den to a mother raccoon in the spring. Birds, squirrels and rain get in the same way. A proper cap with a screen closes the flue to animals and keeps water off the damper and the smoke shelf.
A standard stainless cap for a single flue is $529 plus HST installed. Chimneys with several flues, clay pots or odd sizes need a custom cap, usually $1,200 to $1,800. If an animal is already inside, a wildlife control company removes it first; we then clean out the nesting material, which is a fire hazard, and cap the flue.
When to call
- Scratching or chirping in the chimney
- Nesting material or debris in the firebox
- Rust streaks below a rusted cap
- Water in the firebox after rain
- No cap at all on the flue
What the visit looks like
- Measure the flueSingle, multi-flue or custom.
- Clean out nestingAfter any animals are gone, debris is removed.
- Fit the capStainless with a screen, fastened to take wind and snow.
