Chase covers: Why stainless steel is the best option
Most people assume that the top of a chimney is left open to allow the gas and smoke escape to the atmosphere, but consider the consequence of this. If rain falls, won’t it fall into the chimney and on to your fireplace? Wouldn’t birds and animals fall into it too, and wouldn’t they then rot? These are just some of the reasons why a chimney requires a chase cap; to prevent foreign material from falling into the chimney. The top of the chimney is exposed to a lot of harsh conditions; on one side are the elements (rain, snow etc.) and on the other side is heat. This means that your chase cover needs to be of good quality so as to withstand these conditions so that you don’t have to keep replacing it.
One of the qualities of a good chase cover is the material it’s made of. Since it’s exposed to humidity and heat, it would be unwise to get a chase cover made of a material that would rust. The best bet is to get a stainless steel one, as this would ensure that it doesn’t rust which would cause it to leak. Even if the chase cover is galvanized, the elements and the heat normally tend to strip it of the protective covering, causing it to rust. This means that the stainless steel is really the best option, as this material is inherently rust proof.