Walked an old job site in Philly last week and the new chimney cap was pure plastic junk

I used to sweep that rowhouse back in '08 and the old cast iron cap lasted 15 years, but the replacement they slapped on there is already cracking from the heat. Has anyone else noticed builders cheaping out on basic metal parts lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_dixon22d ago

Sucks when they skimp on the little things that actually Matter. Saw a cap on a job in South Philly last year, looked like black plastic from the Dollar Store. It was already warped six months later while the old cast iron one would have been fine for another decade. This corner cutting on metal parts is getting ridiculous everywhere now.

joseph_hart22d ago

Did your buddy work on McPherson Square or something? My friend Steve does roofing in the Northeast and he told me about a job he did last fall where the homeowner bought a brand new chimney cap from Home Depot. Steve said it was this flimsy dark plastic thing that looked like a kids toy. He had to replace it three months later because the heat from the fireplace just melted a big hole right through the side. The old metal one the guy had was barely even rusted after 20 years.