Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation Nationwide

Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation: The Southampton Owner’s Guide

An Olympia Chimney chimney cap installed by our crew in Southampton typically runs between $340 and $620 depending on flue size and whether your crown needs sealing work at the same time. We stock Olympia Chimney-compatible caps in 8″, 10″, and 13″ round configurations plus standard rectangular sizes for multi-flue setups, and most replacements are completed in a single visit. Most Southampton homeowners realize their cap has failed after finding rust flakes in the firebox, water stains on the firebrick, or hearing animal activity above the damper during shoulder season.

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Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To

Olympia Chimney manufactures caps across several product lines, and matching the right series matters more than most owners expect. The 304 stainless steel line carries a lifetime warranty against rust-through, while the galvanized and painted steel caps are rated for 15 to 20 years in coastal air. We see the 13″ round stainless cap most often on Olympia’s factory-built chimney systems from the 1990s and early 2000s, particularly the OFP and OCP series common in Southampton’s post-war ranches and the newer colonials off County Road 39.

To identify your cap, check the stamped model number on the underside of the existing lid or measure the flue tile opening at the crown. The OFP series uses a 3/4″ mesh screen; the OCP switched to 5/8″ in 2003. Mixing these creates a gap that lets small birds through. We carry both OEM Olympia caps and equivalent-grade Famco and Gelco units when the original series has been discontinued. Hearthstone Chimney Co. is an independent service provider with no affiliation to Olympia Chimney. We choose parts based on what fits your flue correctly and what will outlast the next decade of Southampton’s salt air and freeze cycles.

Signs Your Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Is Failing

• Rust staining down the chimney face or on the crown. Olympia’s painted steel caps begin failing at the seam weld first. Once moisture wicks through, the crown concrete absorbs it and spalls from within. We catch this early on Jobs Lane inspections where the 1980s ranches still carry original equipment.
• Water in the firebox after heavy rain. A properly seated cap sheds water six inches past the flue rim. When the lid warps or the storm collar separates, water tracks directly down the flue tile. In Southampton, this accelerates after nor’easters that test every seam.
• Mesh screen pulled away or clogged solid with creosote. The spark arrestor mesh on older Olympia caps uses a crimped attachment that loosens after repeated heating cycles. Once the mesh gaps, embers can escape; once it plugs completely, draft suffers and smoke backs up into the room.
• Animal nesting material or droppings above the damper. Squirrels compress themselves through a gap as small as one inch. A cap with bent corners or missing side screening is an open invitation, and Southampton’s oak and pine canopy puts wildlife right at roofline level.
• The cap is missing entirely after a wind event. Olympia’s older clamp-style attachments rely on friction against the flue tile. After twenty years of thermal cycling, that friction fails. We replace these with screw-mounted base plates that bite into the crown itself.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

The spread depends on three factors: cap size and material grade, whether your crown needs cleaning and sealing before the new base plate mounts, and accessibility. A two-story colonial on North Sea Road with a steep pitch takes longer than a single-story ranch with walkable roof. We price the full job before we start. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice. Every cap installation carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing, no arguing.

DIY or Call Us?

A homeowner can safely check whether the cap is present and whether it rocks loosely on the flue. Use binoculars from the ground. Do not climb a roof to inspect it yourself. Southampton’s older homes often have cedar shake roofs that are unforgiving underfoot, and a cap replacement requires working at the roof edge with both hands free. The stainless steel units weigh fifteen to twenty-five pounds and must be maneuvered without dropping hardware down the flue.

We also see DIY installations that used the wrong base attachment for the flue type, or that sealed the cap to the crown with generic caulk that fails in the first freeze. The crown seal is structural work. It needs proper prep and the right material for a salt-air climate. If you’re considering this yourself, call us first and we’ll tell you exactly what your setup requires. Most of the time, the call saves you a second trip up the ladder.

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