One homeowner association maintenance responsibility that is often neglected is replacement of chimney caps. It is an out of sight - out of mind task that is extremely important from a fire safety perspective. Over time, wood smoke lays down a flammable layer of material on the inside of the chimney and acids in the smoke will rust out the chimney cap. If the build up catches fire, the heat can spread to surrounding wood structures.

A chimney cap is the screened metal cover that attaches to the top of a chimney pipe/flue. An uncapped chimney admits rain that rusts metal fireboxes, flues and wood stoves. It also allows birds to nest within the chimney, leading to a possible flue blockage, and allows potentially hazardous embers to escape.

Chimney caps are available at most home centers and fireplace-supply stores. Prices range from about $35 for a sheet-metal cap up to around $90 for a long-lasting stainless-steel model. Installation is quick and involves simple hand tools, provided you can safely access the roof. Chimney caps come in two different shapes - one for round flues and one for square flues - in a variety of sizes. Check your flue and measure its outside diameter before shopping.

For installation, call a chimney cleaning and repair service (also called "Chimney Sweep") and combine the job with a general flashing repair and repointing if needed.

This is also an ideal time for the association to have all chimneys inspected to ensure they are fire safety compliant. Chimney sweeps perform such inspections are usually nominal, $5-10 for each chimney (depending on accessibility). This is a cost which the association should budget for and schedule annually. If inspection reveals need for cleaning, cleaning costs are a homeowner responsibility.

Chimney caps and inspection are often out of sight and out of mind until a fire breaks out. Let this reminder "spark" some action before you get "fired up". Put this item into your budget and maintenance planning if it applies to you.

For more information on this subject, see www.Regenesis.net.

Published: January 12, 2000

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Richard Thompson owns Regenesis, a management consulting company that specializes in condominium and homeowner associations. He is a nationally recognized expert on HOA management issues. Regenesis publishes The Regenesis Report, a monthly newsletter for HOA boards, developers and managers. To subscribe, go to Regenesis.net. He can be contacted by email at .