Chimney Cap Installation
Cayce SC

A multi-flue cap is one hood that covers several flue tiles at once. It sits on the crown, with mesh walls around all the tiles, and is fastened to the masonry. On a chimney where the tiles sit close together, one cap is neater and easier to keep tight than two or three separate caps.

Before recommending a multi-flue cap, we check two things. First, every flue under it must be suited to that cap. A gas appliance vent needs a listed vent cap under the fuel gas rules in 2021 IRC Chapter 24, Fuel Gas, so we may leave that flue with its own termination and fit the multi-flue cap around the others. Second, the hood must sit high enough that the tallest tile still has room to draft.

The 2021 International Residential Code model text in 2021 IRC Chapter 10, Chimneys and Fireplaces describes the spark arrestor screen on a wood-burning flue: an open area at least four times the flue outlet, mesh openings between three-eighths and one-half inch, and a screen or cap that can be removed for cleaning. A multi-flue cap that covers a fireplace flue has to meet that open-area test for the fireplace.

The Census Bureau lists Cayce city in both Lexington and Richland counties. That does not change the cap, but it changes which county office you would call with property questions. Ask the City directly before work if you want a firm answer. Check with the office for your address before authorizing work.

The State's National Register list for Lexington County includes the William J. Cayce House. A National Register listing on its own does not say anything about review of exterior work, and the list says most such properties are privately owned. If you own a listed house, ask the City or county about design review before choosing a cap style.