Top sealing damper installation for homes in Idlewyld
We compare repairing your throat damper with adding one on top, and you choose the route.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Damper trouble that points to a top damper
- Handle bracket loose in the firebrick
- Birds or insects coming down the flue
- Rust flakes dropping from the throat
- Stiff pull on the damper chain
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Top damper decisions for homes in Idlewyld
Dampers made to sit under a cap
One style of top damper fixes to the top of the flue and is designed to sit beneath a separate chimney cap. The cap keeps rain off and holds the screen, while the damper below it does the sealing.
If your chimney already has a sound cap, this style can sometimes keep it in service. The cap has to leave enough room for the lid to open fully, and it may need to come off during installation. We check the height and clearance under your cap before recommending this route.
When the handle is hard to pull
The pull needed to close a spring-loaded lid can be firm. For some people, especially anyone with limited grip strength, the standard handle is awkward. Makers offer easier-grip handles for customers who find the damper hard to open or close.
Tell us if the pull may be a problem for anyone in the house. We can fit an easier handle or suggest a model with a lighter action. The goal is a damper that gets opened before every fire, which only happens if the handle is comfortable to use.
Taking time over the damper decision
A top damper is not an urgent purchase in most cases. The fireplace can be left unused while you weigh the options, as long as nobody lights a fire with the damper in doubt. Waiting a few days to decide is perfectly reasonable.
If a quick decision suits you, approving the work within 72 hours of your free inspection brings a 10% discount on it. If not, the estimate stands as written. Either way, we will answer questions about the options until the choice feels clear.
Roof work for a top damper inside the HVHZ
Broward County falls within the part of Florida that the building code designates HVHZ, and roof and exterior work there is subject to that zone's provisions.
Fitting a damper to the flue top may leave the roof covering untouched. If the job extends to the crown, the flashing or the roof around the chimney, ask which provisions govern that work before you approve it. We explain our understanding of what the specific work requires. We make no claim that a product carries an approval it does not have.
Parts of the damper job priced separately
- Firebox protected during drilling
- Old hardware and debris hauled away
- Maker's instructions left with you
- Roof access planned before climbing
Top damper questions for homes in Idlewyld
Can I add a top damper if gas burns in the firebox?
Usually not with the common products. A vented decorative gas appliance needs the damper held fully open while it burns, and several top damper products are marked not for that use. We read both sets of instructions before giving you an answer.
Can a top damper keep animals out of the flue?
When it is shut, the lid and gasket close the opening that animals use. It must not be fitted over an animal already inside, so we check the flue first. If something is living there, removal comes before the damper.
Does your warranty cover a top damper you install?
Our workmanship warranty covers the installation we carry out, and we go through its coverage with you before the work is agreed. The damper itself carries its maker's terms, which we pass on with the written record of the job.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Prefab and Zero-Clearance Fireplace RepairIdentify and repair manufactured fireplace components using the appropriate model information.
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
- Gas Fireplace Repair and ServiceGet a model-specific gas fireplace service plan for the fault you are seeing or the maintenance your unit needs.
- Hurricane and Storm Damage Chimney RepairAssess storm-related chimney concerns and distinguish temporary protection from permanent component repair.
- Smoke Chamber RepairRepair identified smoke-chamber surfaces with the access and material requirements clearly defined.
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Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo