You may not think of your chimney as a particularly inviting place to hang out, but there are plenty of animals that do. In fact, some animals find chimneys very attractive nesting locations, because in nature, they would nest in tall, hollow trees. When you combine an animal’s instincts for finding shelter with the easy availability of chimneys to hide in, it’s no wonder that so many people wind up dealing with critters stuck in their chimneys. Unfortunately, the result is a situation that is upsetting for both the animal and the homeowner.
There are a few different animals that are the most common sources of trouble with chimneys. Squirrels and racoons are especially problematic, since they will often try to nest inside a chimney to bear their young. Squirrels will even nest inside certain kinds of chimney caps, and if there is a big enough gap, both adult and baby squirrels are at risk of falling down the chimney and getting stuck. Then, there are also bats, which can leave copious amounts of droppings, and a variety of birds. The problem is that with the exception of bats, some racoons, and some birds (such as chimney swifts) any animal that enters the chimney will get stuck, and will not be able to get itself out. It is dangerous to have an animal stuck in your chimney, alive or dead, and the smell of a dead animal rotting in your chimney is a smell you will never forget. On top of all of that, you really can’t try to remove any animal that has had babies inside the chimney, because it may abandon the babies, which will then die trapped inside. If that happens to you, all you can do is wait it out.
So, clearly you are much better off making sure that critters can’t get into your chimney in the first place. The best solution, in order to keep out all animals, is to get a chimney cap. This allows smoke to escape, but it keeps the chimney covered. It looks a bit like a tiny roof on top of a cylinder with holes in it, mounted on top of the chimney. In order to make sure that the chimney cap fits properly, stays on, and looks right, it is important to have a professional measure your chimney and install the cap. If you try to do it yourself and something goes wrong, it can ultimately be much more expensive than it would have been to just pay someone to do it. A professional will be able to make sure that the cap that is installed does not have any gaps big enough for animals to get through, especially gaps to the outer flue. Luckily, chimney caps do not detract from the appearance of your home, and they are unobtrusive. You can even choose the color or appearance of your chimney cap — for example, if you like the look of copper, you may be able to find a copper cap that fits your chimney.
This is another one of those cases of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. It is much easier to install a chimney cap than to get a wild animal out of your chimney!