Not every chimney is brick from top to bottom. Plenty of newer Cleveland homes have a factory-built, prefabricated chimney inside a framed, siding-wrapped enclosure called a chase — and instead of a poured concrete crown, that chase is topped with a metal panel called a chase cover. It does the same essential job as a crown, keeping rain out of the structure below, but it's a different material with a different failure pattern, and it needs to be treated that way.
Metal chase covers take a beating over the years. Standing water, temperature swings, and everyday weather eventually rust the metal, pull seams apart, or warp the panel so it no longer sheds water the way it should. Once that happens, water works its way into the chase itself, where it can soak insulation and framing long before anyone notices a problem from inside the house.
What's Included
- On-site measurement. Exact measurement of the chase top, including any non-standard or irregular dimensions.
- Custom fabrication when needed. A cover built to fit chases that don't match stock sizes, rather than forcing an approximate fit.
- Rust-resistant metal. Durable material with soldered or sealed seams to resist the leaks that undo cheaper covers.
- Proper slope & overhang. Installed with a drip edge and slight pitch so water sheds off the sides instead of pooling on top.
Chase Cover vs. Masonry Crown
It's an easy mix-up, but the distinction matters for the fix. A masonry crown is poured concrete on top of a traditional brick chimney, and it fails through cracking and spalling — that's a repair we handle under our general chimney repair service. A chase cover is sheet metal on a factory-built chase, and it fails through rust, separated seams, and ponding water instead. Both let water into the chimney system if left alone, but the materials, the failure signs, and the fix are different, which is why we always confirm which one we're actually looking at before recommending a repair or a full replacement.
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FAQs
A crown is the concrete cap poured on top of a traditional masonry (brick) chimney. A chase cover is the metal panel that caps a factory-built, prefabricated chimney chase — the framed, siding-wrapped enclosure common on newer homes. They do the same basic job of keeping water out, but they're different materials on different chimney types, and a chase cover fails in different ways than a masonry crown does.
The most common signs are rust spots or streaking down the siding below the cover, seams that have pulled apart or lifted at the edges, and water pooling on top instead of draining off. Any of these lets water into the chase itself, which can damage the framing and insulation long before it becomes obvious inside the house.
Yes. Chase covers aren't sold in one universal size, and plenty of chases are irregular or larger than stock options. We measure on-site and have covers custom-fabricated to fit, with a proper overhang and drip edge so water sheds cleanly off the sides instead of running down the chase walls.