Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation: The Hempstead Owner’s Guide
Olympia Chimney cap installation in Hempstead typically runs $340 to $620 installed, depending on cap size, flue type, and roof access. We stock Olympia Chimney-compatible caps on our trucks and can usually complete the swap the same day we’re out for the estimate. Most homeowners discover the cap has failed because they see rust flakes in the fireplace, hear metal rattling during wind storms, or spot a visibly corroded cap during spring gutter cleaning. Hempstead’s salt air and nor’easter-driven rain cycles wear down exposed steel faster than inland towns, so we see cap failures here more often than you’d expect.
Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To
Olympia Chimney’s cap line covers most standard flue diameters from 6 inches up to 13 inches, across three main styles: the traditional flat-topped mesh cap, the deluxe hooded cap with a taller wind deflector, and the multi-flue cap that spans two or three flues on a single crown. The compatibility gotcha we run into constantly in Hempstead is this: your fireplace flue may be a different diameter than your furnace or water heater flue, and a cap sized for one will not seat safely on the other. You need the inside diameter measurement of the flue tile, not the outside dimension of the chimney. The flue ID is usually stamped on the clay tile lip, visible from the roof, or we can pull it with a quick measurement during the estimate. OEM Olympia caps are well-built, but we also install equivalent aftermarket caps from Famco and Copperfield when the flue size falls between Olympia’s standard increments or when a homeowner wants a heavier gauge. We’ll tell you which one makes sense for your setup, and we’ll write down why. One more thing: Flint Chimney Co Hempstead is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Olympia Chimney. We use their parts because they’re good, not because we have to.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing
- Rust streaks on the flue tile or chimney crown. The cap’s steel mesh or base flange is corroding, and rainwater is carrying iron oxide down the masonry. Left alone, the cap will eventually collapse into the flue.
- Water inside the firebox after heavy rain. A failed cap lets rain fall straight down the flue. You’ll see damp ash, a musty smell, or actual water pooling in the firebox after a Hempstead downpour.
- Debris or animal activity. Missing or torn mesh means squirrels, starlings, and leaves are getting in. We’ve pulled nests out of Hempstead chimneys every March; a cap where the mesh has separated from the rim is the usual entry point.
- Rattling or scraping sounds in high wind. A loosened mounting collar rocks against the flue tile. This is metal-on-masonry wear. Every storm season, the scrape gets deeper.
- Spalling or crumbling brick at the top course. When the cap functions correctly, water drains away from the crown. When it fails, water pools and seeps into the brick itself, which then freezes and thaws through Hempstead winters and starts popping the brick faces off. The chimney often shows this damage at the very top, exactly where the cap should have been doing its job.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A standard single-flue Olympia Chimney cap installation in Hempstead runs $340 to $520. The hooded deluxe version adds roughly $60 to $80 because the cap itself costs more and requires a different mounting setup. Multi-flue caps that span two or three flues run $480 to $620. The parts are roughly half the total; labor, roof access, stainless steel mounting hardware, and disposal of the old cap make up the rest. If the chimney crown has cracking or spalling at the mounting point, we’ll have to address that before the new cap can seat properly. We’ll show you photos from the roof and give you a written price before any work starts, so the number you approve is the number on the invoice. Every cap installation carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the cap fails to perform as specified within one year of install and the cause is our workmanship, we return and fix it at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely inspect your cap from the ground or an upstairs window with binoculars. Look for rust, torn mesh, gaps between the cap and flue tile, and any missing or lifted corners. What you cannot safely do is get on a Hempstead roof without proper fall protection and a spotter. Roof pitches here vary wildly, and chimney access often requires ladder placement on uneven ground. We’ve seen homeowners attempt cap swaps from the edge of the roof and end up in worse shape than the cap. If you can see the flue tile lip and are comfortable measuring the inside diameter, we can order the right cap from that measurement. If not, our technician will take the measurement during the estimate. We’re at the point where we’d rather spend ten minutes measuring than sell you a cap that doesn’t fit. Call (516) 559-6922 and we’ll get someone out.
FAQs
Plan on 8 to 15 years, depending on the cap’s gauge and how much salt air your roof sees. Homes within a few miles of Hempstead Bay or the South Shore wear a cap faster than houses further inland. The mesh is always the first thing to go. We’ll write your install date on the cap rim so you know exactly how old it is when you next look at it.
Sometimes. If the mounting collar is solid but the mesh is torn, we can replace the mesh. If the base flange is corroded or the wind deflector has separated from the hood, replacement is the only honest option. We won’t quote a repair on a cap that’s past salvaging. Call (516) 559-6922 for an honest read on your specific cap.
A single-flue cap swap takes about 45 to 60 minutes once we’re on the roof. Multi-flue caps run longer, mainly because they’re heavier and need two sets of hands to set without damaging the flue tiles. Most Hempstead jobs are done within two hours of arrival.
We always carry the common 6-inch, 7-inch, 8-inch, and 9-inch caps for single-flue setups, plus a couple of multi-flue sizes. If your flue falls outside those, we’ll have the right cap at our shop within a day or two. We’ll confirm stock when you book the estimate. This is the part where we also mention we stock compatible caps from Famco and Copperfield, and work regularly with DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco products when the job calls for it.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Hempstead at Flint Chimney Co Hempstead, serving Hempstead and nearby areas. Hank learned the chimney trade at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and has spent the better part of two decades running crews across Nassau County, including steady work in the Fulton neighborhood right here in Hempstead. The flue tells the truth. You just have to know how to read it.