Level 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.
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AfterTrusted Chimney Cap & Crown for Hempstead Homeowners
A chimney cap and crown do one job together: they keep water out. When either fails, rain, snow, and Long Island humidity get into the flue and the masonry, and that is when repairs stop being minor. In Hempstead, with our freeze-thaw winters and wet springs, a cracked crown or missing cap turns into spalling brick and liner damage faster than most homeowners expect. Wendell Pike has been fixing caps and crowns across Nassau County since 1999, and he will tell you plainly whether yours needs work or can wait another season. Call (516) 963-1068 and you will get a real answer, not a sales pitch.
What Our Chimney Cap & Crown Service Includes
Cap Installation
A cap sits on top of the flue and blocks rain, leaves, birds, and downdrafts. Without one, every storm drops water straight down your flue, where it mixes with creosote and forms an acidic slurry that eats mortar joints from the inside. We measure the flue, match the cap to your chimney’s dimensions, and install it so it actually stays put in a Hempstead nor’easter. Most installations take under an hour once we’re on the roof.
Cap Replacement
Caps rust, dent, blow off, or get bent by falling branches and ice. A cap that has shifted or rusted through is not doing its job even if it is still sitting up there. We remove the old cap, check the flue tile underneath for damage, and install a replacement sized correctly for your specific flue, whether it is a standard single flue or something unusual. If the old cap let water in for a while, we will tell you what we find and whether the flue needs attention too.
Crown Repair
The crown is the concrete slab that caps the chimney’s masonry, and it is the most common failure point on Hempstead chimneys. Builders often pour them too thin or without proper overhang, and Long Island’s freeze-thaw cycles crack them within a few years. We grind out cracked or delaminated sections, rebuild the crown with proper slope away from the flue, and make sure water sheds off instead of pooling. A crown with the right pitch and overhang should last decades, not seasons.
Crown Coating
For crowns that are still structurally sound but showing hairline cracks and surface wear, a flexible coating buys years of protection without a full rebuild. We use a waterproof sealant designed for chimney crowns, applied after the surface is cleaned and prepped so it bonds properly. This is the honest money-saver when the crown has not yet failed, and Wendell will tell you outright when a coating is not enough and a rebuild is the only fix that will hold.
Multi-Flue Cap
Homes with two or more flues need a cap designed to cover the full crown area, not two separate caps fighting for space. A proper multi-flue cap spans the entire crown, seals along the edges, and keeps every flue protected under one piece of hardware. We measure the full crown dimensions, account for your specific flue heights and locations, and install a cap that clears draft requirements while keeping water and animals out completely.
Custom Cap
Some chimneys do not fit a stock cap. Odd flue sizes, unusual crown shapes, historic homes in Hempstead’s older neighborhoods, or a homeowner who wants a specific look all call for a custom build. We work with fabricators to get a cap made to your chimney’s exact measurements, then install it with the same care as any off-the-shelf unit. If you have been told by another company that your chimney “can’t be capped,” call us for a second opinion.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Chimney Cap & Crown
We work with Olympia Chimney caps regularly. Olympia makes a full range of stock and custom caps, and we have installed enough of them in Hempstead and across Nassau County to know their sizing charts cold. When a customer wants a stainless cap that will outlast the roof shingles, Olympia is often our first recommendation, and we keep common sizes ready so the job does not stall waiting on parts.
We also service and install Gelco and Famco caps, which show up on plenty of Long Island chimneys. Gelco builds rugged, no-nonsense caps that hold their finish in coastal air, and Famco covers everything from standard single-flue units to larger custom work. Whether you have one of those brands already or something with no nameplate left at all, we can match it, source it, and install it right. The cap matters far more than the logo on it.
Signs You Need Chimney Cap & Crown Right Now
- Water stains on the ceiling or walls near the chimney. This means water is getting past the cap or crown and traveling down through your home. By the time you see the stain, the leak has been active for a while, and the fix only gets more expensive if you wait.
- Pieces of concrete or mortar in the gutter or on the ground near the chimney base. A crumbling crown sheds material as it fails. Those chips are literal pieces of your chimney’s weather protection falling off, and every missing chunk is a new entry point for water.
- A rusted, dented, or missing cap. If you can see damage from the ground, the cap is not working. A rusted-through cap lets rain straight down the flue, and a missing one invites birds, squirrels, and raccoons to build nests that block your draft and create a fire hazard.
- Draft problems, smoke in the house, or a persistent damp smell from the fireplace. A blocked or incorrectly sized cap can strangle your draft, and a leaking crown can leave the inside of your chimney perpetually damp. The damp smell in summer is often the first clue a homeowner gets that water has been getting in all year.
- Visible cracks in the crown or gaps between the flue tile and the crown. These are the failure points where water works its way into the masonry. Long Island winters freeze that water, expand it, and widen the cracks every single year. A crack you can see today is a spalling brick face in five years.
Our Chimney Cap & Crown Process - Step by Step
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We show up, listen, and look. Wendell or one of his crew arrives in uniform, on time, with a call ahead if anything slips. You tell us what you have noticed, and we take a full look at the chimney, the roof access, and the surrounding masonry before we touch anything.
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The camera goes down or up the flue. We run a chimney camera to document the condition inside, whether that means from the flue opening down or from the fireplace up. You see the footage. Every time. That is not a premium service at Top Hat Chimney; it is how we work, and it is how you know we are not inventing problems to bill you for.
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Plain-English verdict and a firm number. We tell you exactly what is wrong, what has to be fixed now, what can wait, and why. Then we write the price down. The number on that estimate is the number on the invoice, no matter what we find once work begins, unless we uncover something that genuinely changes the scope, and in that case we stop and call you first.
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The work gets done the same day it is scheduled. Cap and crown jobs almost never stretch into a second visit. We bring the parts, tools, and materials for the job on the first trip. When we leave, your chimney is buttoned up, cleaned up, and photographed so you have a record of the work.
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The 90-Day Done Right Promise kicks in automatically. If anything about the install is not right within 90 days, one phone call brings us back at no additional cost. Wendell puts that in writing on every job he finishes, and he has been standing behind it since 1999.
How Much Does Chimney Cap & Crown Cost in Hempstead?
What moves the price most is access. A steep roof, a tall chimney, or a chimney that requires staging instead of a ladder adds time and safety equipment, and that shows up in the quote. The condition of the underlying masonry matters too. If a leaking crown has already rotted brick below it, you will need masonry repair before the new crown goes on, and you should know that before anyone starts swinging a hammer.
The way to avoid overpaying is simple: get a camera inspection before you agree to any work. A company that will not show you the footage is a company that wants you to buy on faith. We show you everything, and our estimates are free. We also offer $40 off any repair over $200 and a free second opinion on any written estimate you have from another chimney company. Seniors and veterans always get 10% off, and if you are inside our service county, there is no trip charge. Call (516) 963-1068 and we will walk you through what your chimney actually needs before you spend a dollar.
Chimney Cap & Crown Near Hempstead - Our Service Area
Top Hat Chimney works throughout central Nassau County, including Chimney Cap & Crown in Garden City, Chimney Cap & Crown in Franklin Square, Westbury, Uniondale, West Hempstead, Mineola, Roosevelt, Floral Park, North Merrick, New Hyde Park, and Williston Park. We live here, Wendell raised his family here, and you will see him around town on a Saturday. When you call, a person answers, not a call center, and we will give you a real arrival window. Start on the home page if you want the full picture of what we do, or call for a straight answer on your chimney.
Serving Hempstead, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hempstead area and offer our Chimney Cap & Crown in Hempstead, so we know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Chimney Cap & Crown in Hempstead
What is a chimney cap and crown?
A chimney cap is the metal cover over the flue opening that keeps rain, animals, and debris out while allowing smoke and gas to escape. The crown is the concrete or mortar slab that covers the top of the chimney’s masonry structure and sheds water away from the flue and brick. Together they form the chimney’s roof system, and when either one fails, water gets into the structure and the damage compounds fast.
How long does chimney cap and crown work take?
Most single cap installations or replacements take one to two hours from setup to cleanup. Crown repairs run half a day for crack filling and coating, or a full day for a complete tear-out and rebuild. We schedule the work when you will be home, give you a real arrival window, and call if anything changes.
How much does a chimney cap or crown repair cost in Hempstead?
Cap work typically runs $250 to $600, crown coating and crack repair runs $400 to $800, and a full crown rebuild runs $1,200 to $1,800 depending on chimney size and access. Every estimate is free, the price we quote is the price you pay, and we show you camera footage before we recommend anything. Call (516) 963-1068 for an exact quote on your chimney.
Do you service Olympia Chimney, Gelco, and Famco caps?
Yes. We install and service Olympia Chimney, Gelco, and Famco caps regularly, and we can source parts for those brands as well as custom-fabricate caps for odd sizes they do not cover. If you have a cap from another manufacturer, we can almost always match it or replace it with something better suited to your chimney.
Do you handle emergency cap or crown issues?
We do. If a storm knocked your cap off or you have water actively coming in around the chimney, call (516) 963-1068 and a live person answers, any time of day or night. We will tell you honestly whether the situation can wait a few days for a scheduled visit or whether you need someone out right away, and we will not invent urgency that does not exist.
Is there a warranty on cap and crown work?
Every Top Hat Chimney job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the cap or crown work is not done right, one call brings Wendell back at no cost to make it right. That is in addition to the manufacturer warranty on the cap itself, and we will walk you through what is covered before you sign anything.
How do I prepare for a chimney cap or crown visit?
Clear the area around the fireplace if we need access to the interior, and make sure the roof is accessible from a ladder point without locked gates or dogs in the yard. Beyond that, you do not need to do anything. We bring the ladders, tools, camera, and parts, and we leave the property cleaner than we found it.
Schedule Your Chimney Cap & Crown Service in Hempstead Today
If your cap is missing or your crown is cracking, the next storm is already on its way. Call (516) 963-1068 for a free, no-obligation estimate, and talk to a real person who knows Hempstead chimneys. Wendell has been doing this since 1999, he puts his name and license number on every job, and the 90-Day Done Right Promise means you are covered after the work is done. One call and you will know exactly what your chimney needs and what it costs.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Hempstead since 1999. See our Chimney Cap & Crown cost guide for pricing details.