Famco Chimney Cap Installation Nationwide

Famco Chimney Cap Installation: The Bethlehem Owner’s Guide

We stock and install Famco-compatible chimney caps across Bethlehem, with most replacements running between $280 and $520 installed depending on flue size and whether your cap mounts to the tile, the crown, or a chase cover. Our trucks carry the common Famco galvanized and stainless-steel sizes for standard Bethlehem flue dimensions, and we can match less common specs within a day or two. Most homeowners figure out their cap is shot when water starts showing up on the firebox floor or they spot rust streaks running down the brick after a Lehigh Valley storm.

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Which Famco Models This Applies To

Famco builds caps in two main series that we see on Bethlehem chimneys: the standard galvanized line and the 304 stainless-steel line. The galvanized caps carry a part number stamped on the underside of the mesh skirt, usually starting with “FC-” followed by the flue dimension in inches. Stainless models add an “-SS” suffix. The critical measurement is not the cap’s overall width, it’s the inside dimension of your flue tile, measured with a tape after the old cap comes off. A 13×13 flue tile takes a different leg set than a 12×12, and Famco’s leg spacing varies by series year.

We also see aftermarket caps labeled “Famco-compatible” that use a universal leg bracket. These work in a pinch, but the bracket adds height that can look off on a low-profile Bethlehem ranch chimney and the clamp pressure sometimes cracks older flue tile. We’re not affiliated with Famco, but we keep both OEM Famco hardware and direct-fit alternatives on the truck so you get the match that makes sense for your stack.

Signs Your Famco Chimney Cap Is Failing

• Water on the firebox floor after rain. The cap’s mesh or lid has separated at the seam, or the leg brackets have rusted through enough to let the cap tilt. In Bethlehem’s freeze-thaw cycle, that gap widens every winter.
• Rust streaks down the brick or chase siding. Galvanized Famco caps typically show surface rust at year 8 to 12 in Pennsylvania’s acid-rain corridor. Once the zinc layer is breached, the streaking accelerates and stains become permanent.
• Mesh sides bowed outward or detached. Creosote buildup and thermal cycling fatigue the spot-welds. A bowed mesh lets squirrels and starlings into the flue, which we see regularly up around the historic Hill-to-Hill district where mature trees overhang the roofline.
• Cap sitting crooked or loose after wind. The leg tension springs corrode, or the masonry screws have backed out of deteriorating crown concrete. A cap that moves in a storm will eventually launch into your yard or a neighbor’s.
• Draft problems or smoke backup on startup. The lid may have collapsed partially inward, or debris has packed the mesh so tight that exhaust cannot evacuate. This one can turn dangerous fast if carbon monoxide spills into the living space.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

What drives the range: flue height above the roofline, whether we need to rebuild crown edges to get a sound mount, and whether your old cap has seized screws that require cutting. Our estimate is the number on the invoice. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation in writing, and the Famco stainless caps carry a manufacturer’s limited warranty against defects.

DIY or Call Us?

You can safely check whether your cap is loose from the ground with binoculars, and you can measure flue tile dimensions if you’re comfortable on a ladder. What you cannot safely do is work on a roof with a compromised cap in wet or windy conditions, and you should never try to bend a rusted leg bracket back into shape. The metal is fatigued and will snap, often sending the cap down the slope.

We carry Famco caps and the correct masonry fasteners, leg sets, and crown sealant on every truck. Most Bethlehem replacements take under 90 minutes. If it needs doing, we’ll tell you. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you that too. Call (610) 595-5754 and a live person will pick up, day or night.

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