Famco Chimney Cap & Crown Nationwide

Famco Chimney Cap & Crown in Evanston: What to Know First

We provide independent Famco chimney cap and crown service across Evanston, from the lakefront historic district to the newer builds near Dempster Street. Most Famco cap replacements and crown repairs are completed in a single visit once we’ve run the camera and confirmed the scope. You’ll get a written price before we start, a photo record when we’re done, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job.

Call (708) 234-1174

This page is for homeowners who already know they’ve got Famco hardware on their stack and want someone who recognizes the model lines without a scavenger hunt. If you’re seeing rust streaks, water in the firebox, or a cap that’s shifted after a hard Evanston winter, call (708) 234-1174. We answer live, 24/7.

How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them

• Famco 13×13 and 13×18 galvanized single-flue caps - the stamped steel lid on these common sizes traps condensation against the flue tile in Evanston’s freeze-thaw cycles. We’ve pulled dozens where the lid seam has rusted through from the inside out, leaving a ring-shaped stain on the brick below. We replace with a Famco-compatible stainless lid or, if the mesh is still sound, fabricate a welded stainless cover to the existing frame.
• Famco multi-flue “chimney cap with skirt” models - the skirt-to-crown seal is a bead of polyurethane that hardens and shrinks within four to six years on south-facing stacks in Evanston. Water runs behind the skirt, pools on the crown, and accelerates spalling. We remove the skirt, grind the crown to sound concrete, re-pour or coat with a compatible crown seal, and re-bed the skirt with a flexible masonry adhesive rated for Illinois temperature swings.
• Famco wind-directional caps (the rotating “anti-downdraft” series) - the brass bushing seizes when creosote dust works into the bearing, common in Evanston’s older masonry chimneys that burn seasoned hardwood but don’t get swept annually. The cap stops rotating, acts as a fixed obstruction, and creates a smoking fireplace on northeast wind days. We free the bushing where possible, replace the bearing assembly with OEM or machined equivalent, or convert to a static high-vent cap if the homeowner wants zero maintenance.
• Famco copper cap patina failures - the soldered seams on pre-2015 Famco copper caps crack when the copper work-hardens from thermal cycling. Evanston’s lake-effect temperature swings are harder on these than inland installs. We re-solder with silver-bearing alloy or, if the seam has gapped, cut and re-fabricate the joint on-site rather than forcing a replacement that doesn’t match the weathered patina.
• Famco crown-mounted base plates on oversized flues - Famco’s standard base plate assumes a 13×13 or 13×18 flue. When we find an older Evanston home with a 15×15 or 16×16 flue (common in 1920s construction near the university), the base plate overhangs the flue edge. Water wicks down the gap, freezes, and pops the flue tile. We measure with a digital caliper, order or fabricate an extended base plate, and bed it in high-temp silicone with a weep channel.

Our Famco Chimney Cap & Crown Process

1. 1
   Call and schedule. We answer live. You’ll get a text when your tech is en route, with a name and photo. No anonymous arrivals.
2. 2
   NFPA 211 Level 2 camera inspection. We run the camera down the flue before touching the cap or crown. Corrine Halstead started this practice in 2009, and it’s now Clause 4 of the Haven Standard. The camera doesn’t negotiate - and neither does creosote.
3. 3
   Famco model identification and parts decision. We photograph the existing cap from four angles, record the model stamp or dimensions if the stamp is worn, and check our Famco parts inventory against what we can source through our Haven buying network. If OEM is back-ordered, we present a quality aftermarket equivalent with the same warranty coverage, priced in writing before you decide.
4. 4
   Crown repair or coating, then cap install. We don’t bolt a new cap to a failed crown. Crown work comes first: grind, patch, or coat with a compatible seal. Then the cap goes on, level, with stainless fasteners and a bead seal we can point to in the photo.
5. 5
   Smoke test and draft measurement. We light a smoke pellet and watch the draw. If the new cap changes the draft characteristic (common with wind-directional swaps), we adjust the mesh height or recommend a different model.
6. 6
   Photo record, written invoice, Done Right Promise. You get the camera footage, the cap photos, the smoke test result, and a written warranty. Everything documented, everything dated. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard requires it.

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What Famco Chimney Cap & Crown Costs in Evanston

Every price is written and agreed before work starts. No exceptions. If you’ve got a competitor’s written estimate, we’ll give you a free second opinion. Call (708) 234-1174 for an exact quote - estimates are free.

Why Evanston Homeowners Call Level Two Chimney Evanston for Famco Work

We’ve been inspecting and cleaning chimneys across Evanston for several years now, including the older masonry stacks near the lakefront historic district where Famco caps were installed in the 2000s and are now hitting their failure window. Our techs carry Famco-compatible parts and know the model lines by sight. If your job needs DuraFlex liner work, HeatShield crown coating, or Gelco hardware alongside the Famco cap, we source everything through our Haven buying network - no markup games, no chasing multiple contractors.

The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to every job. Background-checked, uniformed crews. License number on the page. And a live person answers the phone at midnight if your cap blew off in a January storm.

FAQs