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.
Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation: The New Rochelle Owner’s Guide
An Olympia Chimney chimney cap installed in New Rochelle typically runs $340-$680 depending on flue size and whether your crown needs repair before mounting. We stock Olympia Chimney-compatible caps in 8″, 10″, and 13″ round and standard rectangular sizes, and most New Rochelle replacements are completed in one visit. If you’re seeing rust streaks down your brick or hearing animals in the flue, the cap is likely failing or already gone.
Homeowners in New Rochelle usually discover the problem after a storm, when water spots appear on the firebox ceiling, or when a neighbor mentions birds nesting in their chimney and they check their own. The Olympia Chimney line uses 18-gauge 304 stainless as standard, which holds up well to Long Island Sound salt air, but the mounting brackets and mesh sides are where we see failure first.
Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To
Olympia Chimney caps fit their own 304 stainless liner systems and most standard masonry flues. The critical match is flue diameter and shape: round caps for round flues, rectangular caps for rectangular tile flues. Check the stamped label on your existing cap or liner top; Olympia Chimney marks series numbers on the collar, not the lid, which trips up some homeowners who measure only the hood.
We carry both OEM Olympia Chimney caps and Gelco equivalents that match the gauge and mesh spec. For most New Rochelle homes built between 1960 and 1990 with original clay flue liners, the Gelco stainless cap installs on the same mount points and carries the same 20-year rust-through warranty at a lower parts cost. The OEM cap makes sense if your entire system is Olympia Chimney and you want matched branding for resale documentation. Russell Haines will measure on site; the wrong collar depth is the most common ordering mistake we see.
Signs Your Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Is Failing
- Rust stains running down the chimney face. Even 304 stainless will pit where salt spray collects, especially on homes within a mile of Long Island Sound in New Rochelle’s Wykagyl or Davenport Neck areas. Once the base collar rusts through, water enters the flue directly.
- Mesh sides pulled away or gaping. High winds across open Westchester terrain flex the mesh until the spot-welds crack. Squirrels and starlings exploit these gaps; we’ve pulled nests from caps that looked intact from the ground.
- The cap sits crooked or rocks by hand. The mounting bracket bolts loosen over freeze-thaw cycles. A loose cap catches wind like a sail and will eventually tear off entirely, often taking a piece of crown with it.
- Water in the firebox after rain. This means the cap is missing, severely damaged, or the wrong size entirely. An oversized cap channels water inward; an undersized cap lets wind drive rain underneath.
- Smoke backup on mild, windy days. The Olympia Chimney cap’s hood is designed with specific clearance ratios. If a previous installer substituted a generic cap with too low a profile, downdraft becomes chronic.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Olympia Chimney cap replacement, standard flue | $340-$480 |
| Olympia Chimney cap with crown repair/prep | $520-$680 |
| Level-2 camera inspection (included with cap install) | No additional charge |
| Gelco equivalent cap (parts savings) | $60-$90 less |
The range depends on three things: flue height and accessibility, whether your crown needs resurfacing before a new cap will seat properly, and if we find damaged flue tiles during the included camera inspection. We photograph everything. You’ll see what we see, and we’ll tell you straight if the crown work can wait a season or if water is already eroding the smoke chamber. No-hassle upfront pricing means the estimate we leave is the invoice you pay. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation and the cap itself.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check whether your cap is loose or missing from the ground with binoculars. Do not climb the roof. New Rochelle’s older homes, particularly in the Beechmont and Larchmont Woods areas, have steep pitches and brittle asphalt shingles that were never meant to hold a person’s weight at the ridge. The cap itself is not dangerous to handle, but the fall risk is real, and a dropped cap can damage gutters or worse.
Where DIY goes wrong: improper collar depth leaves a gap for water; wrong mesh size blocks draft or lets animals through; and mounting into a compromised crown guarantees the cap will leak within two years. We bring the right cap, the right fasteners, and the sealant rated for Westchester’s temperature swings. Most jobs take under 90 minutes. Call (516) 927-2678 and we’ll schedule a time that works.
FAQs
A properly installed 304 stainless cap lasts 15-20 years in New Rochelle’s climate, though homes within a half-mile of the Sound may see corrosion faster due to salt-laden air. The mesh and mounting hardware typically fail before the hood itself. Call (516) 927-2678 for a free inspection if yours is past 12 years.
Spot-welding mesh or bending brackets back rarely holds; the metal has already fatigued where it failed once. We replace rather than patch because a second trip costs more than doing it right the first time. Call (516) 927-2678 and we’ll show you exactly what’s wrong.
Most Olympia Chimney cap replacements are completed in 60-90 minutes, including the camera inspection and photo report. If crown repair is needed, plan on half a day. We complete most jobs in a single visit.
We carry the three most common sizes daily and can source same-day for less common diameters. Hearthstone Chimney Co. is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Olympia Chimney, but we stock their specs alongside Gelco and Famco equivalents so you’re not waiting on shipping.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner, Hearthstone Chimney Co. at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving New Rochelle and nearby areas.





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