Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation Nationwide | Emberly Chimney Cleaners Boulder

Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation: The Boulder Owner’s Guide

We stock and install Olympia Chimney-compatible chimney caps across Boulder, with most installations running $340-$680 depending on flue diameter, cap style, and whether your crown needs repair before mounting. Single-flue galvanized caps on standard masonry chimneys in neighborhoods like Table Mesa or North Boulder typically land near the lower end; multi-flue stainless models with spark arrestors for mountain-facing homes in the foothills run higher. Most Olympia Chimney cap replacements we book in Boulder are completed same visit if the crown is sound.

Call (970) 598-0453

Homeowners usually discover the problem after a windstorm strips a rusted cap off, or when water stains appear on the firebox ceiling - sometimes years after the original cap’s galvanized coating has failed in Colorado’s dry, high-UV climate.

Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To

Olympia Chimney produces caps across several product lines, and matching the right series matters more than most owners expect. The Olympia Galvanized Single-Flue Cap (round base, 8″-13″ diameters) and Olympia Stainless Multi-Flue Cap (rectangular skirt, 9″×13″ to 17″×29″ base) are the two we see most often on Boulder homes built between 1995 and 2015. Check the stamped model number on the cap’s skirt edge or the embossed tag on the mesh screen - “OLY-” prefix indicates the original Olympia series, while “OLY-S” denotes stainless construction.

Here’s where compatibility gets specific: Olympia’s galvanized caps use a 3/4″ mounting skirt depth, which sits flush on standard corbelled crowns but can overhang thin precast caps common in 2000s construction near Baseline Reservoir. We stock both OEM Olympia caps and equivalent-grade stainless caps from Gelco and Famco through our Haven buying network - the aftermarket equivalents meet the same 304 stainless spec and carry identical warranty terms, often at lower cost. Corrine Halstead typically walks customers through the camera footage first, showing exactly how the existing cap sits on the crown before we recommend OEM or aftermarket. The camera doesn’t guess. Neither do I.

Signs Your Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing

• Visible rust streaks down the chimney face. Galvanized Olympia caps lose their zinc coating after 7-12 years in Boulder’s intense sun and freeze-thaw cycles. Once rust appears, the metal thins fast - we’ve removed caps in Martin Acres that were perforated enough to let driving rain straight through.
• Mesh screen detached or sagging. The spark-arrestor mesh on Olympia caps is spot-welded at the corners. Thermal cycling from Colorado’s 40-degree daily swings weakens these welds; a sagging screen blocks draft, backs up smoke, and creates a creosote trap.
• Cap shifted or missing after wind. Boulder’s foothill winds regularly exceed 60 mph. Olympia’s standard mounting brackets use two stainless screws into the flue tile - adequate when new, but once the flue tile lip spalls or the screws corrode, the cap lifts off. We found one in a Mapleton Hill alley last spring, three houses down from where it started.
• Water in the firebox or rust on the damper. This means the cap is either missing, incorrectly sized, or the crown beneath it has cracked. In Boulder’s dry climate, owners often miss slow leaks until the damper seizes or the smoke chamber shows efflorescence on camera inspection.
• Animals or nesting debris visible from below. A failed cap removes the only barrier between your flue and Boulder’s squirrel, raccoon, and barn swallow population. We pull nests from uncapped flues every May - the debris is a legitimate chimney fire hazard once heating season returns.

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Replacement Cost & What’s Included

What drives the range: flue diameter and height (taller chimneys in the foothills require longer ladder setups), crown condition, and whether we need to fabricate a custom skirt for an oversized or offset flue. Every quote is written before work starts - Clause 1 of the Haven Standard - and includes the cap, all fasteners, sealant, and a documented photo record of the finished mount under Clause 4. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers labor and materials.

DIY or Call Us?

There’s a safe middle ground here. An owner can check whether the cap is present, whether it’s shifted, and whether the mesh is intact - all from the ground with binoculars or from the roof if you’re already comfortable up there. What you cannot safely assess is the flue tile condition beneath the cap, the crown integrity, and whether the new cap’s mounting tension will crack aged terra cotta.

We’ve been called to Boulder jobs where a homeowner installed the right Olympia cap on the wrong flue size, creating a 2-inch gap that funneled rain directly onto the smoke shelf. Others have stripped flue tile threads by overtightening screws into brittle clay. If your roof pitch exceeds 6:12 or you’re working above single-story height, the fall risk alone justifies a call. We bring the right cap on the truck, measured to your flue, and we warranty the mount. Call (970) 598-0453 for a written estimate - no charge to look, no pressure to book.

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