There are also styles to help keep birds and other small animals from getting inside your chimney pipe. There are terra cotta chimney cowls that have a finer screen to eliminate the nasty business of having birds roost in your chimney pipe. There is even a version of a stainless steel chimney cowl that rotates to reduce the amount of downdraft your fireplace receives. You can also find chimney cowlings specially designed for use with gas fireplaces. The sizes of the units vary so you will want to measure the exterior of your chimney pipe to get an accurate fit.

There are some popular brands such as the Brewer or colt chimney cowl. There are also units designed to help prevent sparks from flying out through the top chimney piece. These pieces have a denser mesh to them than the typical bird guard units. They are specifically designed for homes that have a thatched or shingle roof that can catch fire. The prices of the various chimney pots cowls vary depending on the features and size of the unit. You can find them in the traditional clay terracotta color or silver metallic color.

Using a chimney cowl is also beneficial if you have a fireplace that does not get used a lot. It keeps dirt and debris from blowing in and creating a mess when you are not using it. This is beneficial if you have a cabin or vacation home that has a fireplace. In addition to keeping the birds and other small animals from roosting in the chimney while you are away, the cowl will also keep any unwanted materials from blowing in. The different designs available make the cowl an attractive addition to the chimney as well as a practical one.

However, research has indicated that smoke contains cancer causing chemicals. For that reason, no family should want to inhale smoke from the fire in a fireplace. In fact, some thirty years ago, one pair of geneticists, a husband and wife, even refused to build a fire in their fireplace, even though they lived in Michigan.

That was back before introduction of the Internet. At that time, a homeowner could not go online and order one of the available chimney cowls. In fact, back then few people had access to useful information about chimney cowling. Hence, few people took the time to shop for a cowl, and builders seldom spent money on chimney cowlings.

Today, every new home buyer should take the time to study the online literature about the part of a chimney known as a cowl. Chimney facts are especially important, if a home buyer expects to move into a new home, a home with a fireplace. Still, even familiarity with both a colt chimney cowl and a stainless steel chimney cowl can not always free a homeowner from prospects for a smoke filled room.

Some forty plus years ago, one Pennsylvania family purchased a new home. When the realtor provided the family members with a “tour” of their new home, he stopped at the brick walled fireplace. As he looked at that fireplace, he said, “Well, it’s pretty hard to build a bad fireplace.”

More than six months later, as the fall temperatures started to drop, that family decided to use its new fireplace. However, once the fire got started, the home’s family room started to fill with smoke. The family put out the fire, and arranged for an inspection of their fireplace.

Now, as it turned out, not even the best chimney cowl could have prevented that unfortunate incident. An angry brick layer had placed a sheet of glass in that home’s new chimney.

When purchasing chimney cowlings, you will want one that is well priced and excellent quality. Your chimney cowlings will constantly be exposed to wind, rain, and sun so it is of utmost importance that it lasts as long as possible. Cheap chimney cowls tend to rust and corrode easily, if that happens the chimney will not be able to get rid of the air properly causing it to fill up inside the room. A durable chimney cowl is a must-have for any house with a chimney.

Colt has been the industry leader in creating chimney pots cowls since 1931. Much of their designs have changed since then and their new colt chimney cowl units contain vast improvements in quality and prices that are more economical. Most of their chimney cowls have been made from top quality stainless steel and aluminum to prevent wear and rust. Some of their products even provide an unconditional return guarantee.

The Colt brand has cowl fittings for most common types of chimneys whether it is for home or industrial use. With over seventy years of experience producing chimney cowls they are well equipped to designed the latest and most effective chimney cowl models. They are fairly well priced as well, although you will still have to pay a bit more money for the more expensive aluminum and stainless steel material. A stainless steel or aluminum cowl will not rust as fast however and they are much lighter and easier to install on the chimney. Colt cowls are made available in many parts of the world, if you cannot find any near you may be able to order online.

Why Is A Downdraft Your Enemy?

Materials commonly used to burn an open fire within the household are chopped dry wood or raw coal. In either case, smoke that is produced by the burning process is expected to rise up the chimney and go out from above, that is, when the weather conditions are normal. However, there are times when the wind is considerably strong and the black smoke is pushed back down into the house, causing great discomfort and even illness throughout the household. A downdraft is what a chimney cowl prevents, and a stainless steel chimney cowl has proven itself reliable in this department.

Stainless Steel Chimney Cowl

Stainless steel is relatively lightweight material that is also a lot cheaper than, say, terracotta or brick cowls, which are made of richer material. Because stainless steel is malleable, it is easy to make adjustments to the cowl, depending on the chimney’s height and the activity of drafts in your area. A terracotta cowl, while aesthetically more stylish looking, is not only heavy but is also usually non-adjustable.

Other Advantages

Besides preventing illness and discomfort from potentially poisonous downdrafts, a stainless steel chimney cowl can also prevent rodents from getting into the house through the chimney. A terracotta cowl, for instance, can do the job of preventing a draft, but it fails in comparison to stainless steel in making sure no critters enter the hole. Stainless steel heats up easily and thereby discourages anything or even anyone from getting inside. In addition, a well made cowl, one that is protected by a screen, for example, prevents the buildup of dirt or dead leaves along the chimney’s interiors, thus decreasing the need for maintenance.

There are various types of chimney cowl designs to suit your roof’s aesthetic and your area’s weather condition. You can find a wide selection of stainless steel chimney cowls online and have them delivered and installed directly by a nearby branch. In any case, you can purchase the just the cowl itself online and then have it locally installed, as most cowls manufactured nowadays fit the regular chimney set up sizes and, if not, can be ordered custom-made.

About thirty five years ago, at a meeting in Miami, Florida, a group of geneticists reported their findings, in relation to cancer causing genetic changes. During one of the scheduled breaks, a husband and wife team talked with other scientists about their decision to avoid using their fireplace. They did not want any chemical laden smoke to make its way into their home.

Now, at that time, those scientists had little reason to consider the use of a chimney cowl. At that time, society in general did not know much about chimney cowls. At that time no one had any idea that an invention known as the Internet would one day give almost everyone ready access to information about chimney pot cowls.

In fact, today an online shopper should not expect to get the facts about just one type of chimney pot cowl. That online shopper can anticipate reading about several different chimney pots’ cowls. That online shopper can study information about both the colt chimney cowl and the stainless steel chimney cowl.

What is a cowl? It is a hood shaped cover, one that home builders can elect to place into a chimney pot. A chimney pot is the part of a chimney that extends through the roof. Smoke from a fire in a fireplace flows up through the flue in a chimney, and can thus flow into a cowl.

Now, that is what happens on a fair and windless day. On a windy day, a cowl keeps the wind from forcing smoke back down into the flue. On a windy day, a lack of familiarity with chimney cowlings can cause a homeowner to sit in a smoke filled room.

The homeowner that fails to recognize the benefits of chimney cowling might also encounter other problems. For example, that homeowner might discover that rain sometimes falls through the chimney, and splashes on the fireplace floor. Furthermore, a homeowner that has never heard of a chimney cowl might well overlook the fireproofing characteristics of a cowl that has been equipped with a metal wire mesh.

A California homeowner should know this about the monk shaped cowl: Chimney and cowl problems can arise following an earthquake.