Rust streaks running down your chimney? That's a failing chase cover — common on newer Dallas homes. We replace it with stainless that won't rust.
A lot of Dallas homes — especially those built from the 1980s on, and throughout the northern suburbs — don't have a traditional brick chimney. They have a framed "chase," a boxed-in structure often finished in siding or stucco, with a factory-built firebox inside. The chase cover is the metal top on that box: the piece that seals the top and sheds water around the flue pipes. When it fails, you usually see it before you understand it — rust streaks running down the side of the chimney.
Most builder-installed chase covers are thin galvanized steel, and in Dallas that's a short-lived material. It rusts, and the rusty water runs down the siding or stucco in ugly orange-brown streaks. Worse, a rusted or poorly built cover often lacks the slope and cross-break it needs, so water ponds on top instead of running off — accelerating the rust and, eventually, letting water down into the chase around the flue pipes. Those streaks aren't just cosmetic; they're the early warning of water getting into the structure.
Custom stainless chase covers for Dallas prefab chimneys.
(214) 225-8874The reason to replace a failing chase cover promptly is what sits underneath it: a wood-framed chase and a factory-built firebox. Once water gets past a rusted, ponding cover, it works into the sheathing and framing, leading to rot and eventually to chase repair or, if it's gone far enough, a chase rebuild. A stainless cover is a modest cost that protects a structure that's expensive to fix once water gets into it. If you're already seeing streaks, the cover is telling you it's time.
Because a quality chase cover is custom-fabricated from stainless to fit your chase, the price depends on the size, the number of flue penetrations, and roof access — and you'll get a clear quote before we build it. Compared to repairing water damage inside the chase, a new cover is inexpensive insurance, and stainless means you replace it once, not every few years.
"Very pleased with the professionalism and promptness of service. The chimney sweep was done quickly and efficiently at significantly less cost than the first quote I got from another company. Happy to recommend Lowes Chimney Sweep to anyone in Plano!"
"Outstanding chimney sweep service from start to finish. They were punctual, courteous, and left our chimney spotless with no mess in our home. I won't use anyone else for chimney services in Dallas TX!"
More reviews from homeowners across the metroplex are on our reviews section, or learn more about our team before you book.
They're almost always a failing chase cover — the thin galvanized metal top on a framed prefab chimney is rusting, and the rusty runoff streaks down the siding or stucco. It's cosmetic at first but signals that the cover is deteriorating and water can start getting into the chase.
A chase cover is the flat metal top that seals a framed prefab chimney around the flue pipes. A chimney cap is the smaller cover over the flue opening itself. Many prefab chimneys need both — a new stainless chase cover plus a proper cap on the flue — and we handle them together.
Galvanized steel is what fails in the first place — it rusts in Dallas's climate, streaks the chimney, and needs replacing again. Stainless doesn't rust, so a properly built stainless cover with the right slope and overhang is a one-time fix rather than a recurring problem.
If your chimney is a boxed structure finished in siding or stucco rather than brick, it's a chase — common on Dallas homes built from the 1980s on and throughout the newer suburbs. Inside is a factory-built firebox. Masonry chimneys are solid brick with a concrete crown instead of a metal cover.
Worth addressing soon. Once the cover rusts through or ponds water, moisture gets into the wood-framed chase and the sheathing, leading to rot and much costlier chase repair or rebuild. Replacing the cover while the damage is still just streaks protects the structure underneath.
Straight answers from our DFW chimney pros before you book.
