Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Gelco Chimney Cap Installation: The Marietta Owner’s Guide
We stock and install Gelco-compatible chimney caps in Marietta, Georgia, with most installations running between $285 and $410 fully installed. That includes the cap itself, the mounting hardware, and our labor to get it on the flue correctly. Most owners discover their Gelco cap has failed after birds get in, rain pours down the flue, or they spot rust streaks running down the chimney crown from the street.
Gelco builds a solid cap, but nothing lasts forever on a Georgia rooftop. Between the summer heat, the spring downpours, and the freeze-thaw cycles we get in Cobb County when January finally shows up, a chimney cap takes abuse every month of the year. When a Gelco cap fails, the fix is straightforward: match the new cap to the flue tile dimensions, get it seated square, and fasten it so the next windstorm doesn’t send it into the neighbor’s azaleas.
Which Gelco Models This Applies To
Gelco’s chimney caps fall into two main lines: the standard single-flue caps and the multi-flue caps that span the full width of a chimney. The single-flue models, like the Gelco GC series, mount directly to the clay flue tile with tension bolts or masonry screws. The multi-flue caps sit on legs over the crown and get anchored into the brick or mortar with lag bolts.
Here’s the compatibility gotcha we see in Marietta homes all the time: the flue tile measurement matters more than the brand name. Gelco caps are sized to fit standard clay flue tile dimensions, which in most Cobb County homes run 8×8, 8×13, 13×13, or 13×18 inches. If you have an older flue with odd dimensions, or a damaged tile that’s already spalling at the top, the cap needs a custom fit or a crown repair before it will seat properly. We carry the most common Gelco sizes on the truck. For rarer sizes, our supplier in the metro area gets the part to us in a day or two.
On the OEM versus aftermarket question: Gelco’s galvanized caps are workhorse parts, and we install plenty of them. But if your cap has rusted through in under ten years, we’ll often suggest a stainless steel upgrade from a line like Olympia or Copperfield that fits the same flue dimensions. It costs more up front, and it’s the cap we’d put on our own house. We’re an independent chimney service in Marietta, not a Gelco dealer, so our job is to fit the right part to your flue, not to push one brand over another.
How to Identify Your Gelco Cap
If you can see the cap from the ground, look for the Gelco stamp on the metal skirt. If the cap is too rusted or too high to read, measure the outside dimensions of the flue tile itself. That number, plus the flue shape (square or rectangular), is what we need to get the right part the first time.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Gelco Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing
- Rust streaking down the chimney crown or brick. This means the galvanized coating on the cap has worn through and the steel underneath is oxidizing. Once rust streaks show, the cap’s structure is thinning, and pinholes will follow within a season or two.
- Water in the firebox after rain. A failed cap lets rain pour straight down the flue and pool at the bottom of the firebox. You’ll see rust on the damper hinges or a damp, ashy smell in the living room even when the fireplace hasn’t been used in months.
- Birds, squirrels, or bees getting into the chimney. The mesh screen on a Gelco cap keeps animals out. Once that mesh tears or pulls away from the frame, a chimney becomes a rental property for starlings. And in Marietta, starlings will absolutely take that lease.
- Cap missing entirely after a storm. We’ve seen fascia boards ripped off, shingles lifted, and chimney caps gone after a good Georgia thunderstorm. If the cap was held by tension bolts that loosened over time, a fifty-mile-an-hour gust is all it takes.
- Visible smoke or sparks escaping from the top when burning. If the cap’s spark arrestor mesh is clogged or collapsing, the draft gets restricted and smoke backwashes into the house. This is the one to take seriously right away, not next season.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
For a standard single-flue Gelco cap installed on a one-story Marietta home, expect to pay between $285 and $410. For a two-story chimney or a steep roof pitch, the price pushes to the high end of that range because of access and ladder work. Multi-flue caps over the full width of a chimney run between $450 and $700 installed.
Every quote we write includes the part, the mounting hardware, the labor, and the removal and disposal of the old cap. Before we book the job, we’ll give you a written price so the number on the invoice matches the number we quoted at the door. If the cap we remove shows damage to the flue tile or crown underneath, we’ll point it out, show you a photo if we can, and give you a separate written quote before any additional work happens.
Every Gelco cap installation carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if the cap fails, loosens, or shifts inside the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge. No arguments, no fine print.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterDIY or Call Us?
If you just want to identify what cap you have and whether it’s damaged, you can often do that from the ground with a pair of binoculars and a little patience. People are working on their gutters, not their chimney.
Here’s the honest split: the tools are specialized, and the stakes are not worth it. A chimney cap install means working at roof height, usually near the peak, while handling metal parts and power tools. One slip on a damp shingle is a hospital visit or worse. We do this every week, we carry the right ladders and fall protection, and we’ll also spot problems while we’re up there that you can’t see from the driveway. If you want to watch, you’re welcome to – and we’ll explain what we’re doing while we do it. Tell you the price first, show you the work, put it in writing – that’s the whole job. Call (478) 796-8742 and we’ll get it scheduled.
FAQs
A galvanized Gelco cap in metro Atlanta typically lasts 8 to 12 years before the coating fails and rust sets in. Stays wet for days after rain because of tree canopy shade, which accelerates corrosion. A stainless steel cap on the same chimney will last 20 years or more, which is why we often recommend the upgrade when a galvanized cap has already rusted out once.
If your cap is over ten years old and showing rust, call (478) 796-8742 and we’ll give you an honest read over the phone or in person.
Small tears in the mesh screen can sometimes be stitched with stainless steel wire as a stopgap, but if the cap’s frame or mounting skirt is rusted through, repair is a losing bet. Once the steel is compromised, welding a patch onto rust only shifts the failure point to a new spot. Most of the caps we see in Marietta are past the repair point by the time the owner notices a problem.
We’ll tell you plainly if a repair will hold. If it won’t, we won’t pretend it will. Call (478) 796-8742 and we’ll take a look.
For a standard single-flue cap on a one-story home, the whole job takes 60 to 90 minutes from ladder up to ladder down. That includes removing the old cap, cleaning debris off the flue tile, seating the new cap, and doing a quick visual check of the crown and chase while we’re up there. Two-story homes and steep roofs add time for setup and safety.
We book the appointment with you directly, show up in a real arrival window, and get it done the same visit. No “we’ll come back next week” unless you’re adding more work.
We keep the most common Gelco-compatible single-flue sizes on the truck because they cover the majority of standard flue tiles in Marietta’s older neighborhoods. That includes 8×8, 8×13, and 13×13 builds. If your flue is an odd size or the chimney needs, we can usually get the right part from our supplier in one to two days and schedule the install right after. We also carry inventory from DuraFlex and HeatShield for liner-related work we might uncover while we’re up there.
Need to know if yours is a same-trip job? Call (478) 796-8742 and describe the flue tile dimensions if you know them. If not, no problem – we’ll figure it out when we arrive.
Get Your Gelco Cap Replaced Right
If your Gelco chimney cap is rusted, missing, or leaking rain into your firebox, don’t wait until the next storm does more damage. A failed cap lets water work on your flue liner, damper, and firebox all winter. Call our Marietta office at (478) 796-8742 for a free estimate. We’ll give you the price before we touch a tool, show up when we say we will, and put the guarantee in writing before we leave.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Marietta at Ashby Chimney Marietta, serving Marietta and nearby areas.