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Illegally Installed Decorative Shroud Removal

Did you know that “Decorative Shrouds” which are illegally installed on the top of some factory-built chimneys can be a potential hazard to you and your family? Often installed as an afterthought by a homebuilder, a decorative shroud is a sheet metal decoration on top of the chimney intended to increase a home’s curb appeal by hiding the round, plain looking chimney cap that the chimney comes with. Unfortunately, it has been discovered by sad experience that these illegally-installed afterthoughts can be very dangerous!

Illegally installed decorative shroud.

This chase pan cover transferred heat to the…

chase pan cover, which transferred heat to the combustible wood beneath. This was a close call!

Normally as you burn fires, the hot gases rise up through the chimney and escape safely through the chimney cap into the outer atmosphere. For Safety purposes, the manufacturer’s instructions on how their chimney is to be installed are very specific, and allow little leeway for variance. These instructions also specify the closest allowable distance the cap can be to the chase pan cover.

Illegally installed decorative shrouds have been the cause of many structural fires.

Illegally installed decorative shroud.

Fire caused by illegally installed decorative shroud.

If the cap is installed too close to the chase pan cover, the combustible 2×4’s directly beneath it can overheat and catch fire. The instructions also prohibit any add–on products on the top of the chimney (such as decorative shrouds) for this same purpose. In addition, these covers can also inhibit your chimney’s ability to draft or draw properly, thus inhibiting its performance.

Decorative shrouds are designed to hide the original round chimney cap.

In many cases, fire investigators have discovered that these illegally-installed decorative shrouds kept heat from spilling harmlessly into the atmosphere and created a bridge on which to transfer itself to the wood members of the chase, or even overheat the factory-built chimney pipe itself! The resulting house fires are a warning to all who have an illegal decorative shroud on top of their chimney.

A chimney top with the decorative shroud removed and the round factory supplied cap exposed.

If your chimney has an add-on decorative shroud which was not Tested (UL listed) for use with your chimney, we recommend that you have it removed immediately. Adding accessories which are not original factory parts is not only illegal, but potentially very dangerous!

Your prefabricated chimney needs the proper chimney cap to protect it against critters, debris and water getting in. We can help with any repair you need for your prefabricated chimney system.