Ocean County, New Jersey
Chase Covers and Chimney Care in Beach Haven, NJ
We installed a new chase cover on a Beach Haven chimney. Much of the housing here is counted as vacant in the ACS, a category that can include seasonal homes.
Dr. Sweeper has completed a project in Beach Haven, Ocean County: a new chase cover installed on a chimney system, giving it a fitted metal top at the roof line. The project is shown below.
Beach Haven is on Long Beach Island, on the Atlantic coast. The ACS counts about 81% of its housing units as vacant, meaning not occupied as anyone's usual residence at the time of the survey. That category includes units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, which the ACS counts separately (table B25004) and which we do not cite here, so the 81% should not be read as a measure of seasonal use. About 71% of the housing is detached, and the median home value is about $1.5 million.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, for Beach Haven Borough, Ocean County, New Jersey (the municipality itself, not the ZIP code or the county). Detached is the share of all housing units in one-unit detached structures (table B25024). Built before 1950 and median year built come from tables B25034 and B25035, and median home value from B25077 (owner-occupied homes). Vacant is the share of all housing units not occupied as a usual residence at the time of the survey (B25002); it includes units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use (B25004) and other vacancies, and the seasonal-only share is not cited here. These are survey estimates with margins of error. They describe the housing stock, not how any household uses its chimney or fireplace.
How often any one house is used is something only its owner knows, so a chimney check starts from what is actually there and how it has been used.
Our work
Our work in Beach Haven
Chase Cover Installation in Beach Haven, NJ
Beach Haven, NJ · Chase cover installation
A new chase cover installed on a Beach Haven chimney.
Read the projectLearn
Chase covers at the shore
A chase cover is a flat or slightly sloped metal lid, usually made to measure for the chase. Corners and seams are where leaks begin. Salt-laden air is widely understood to speed corrosion of metals, so the choice of material and the quality of the seams matters near the coast. Stainless steel is the more durable choice, and fully welded seams hold up longer than soldered or crimped ones.
For a house that is closed up for months, a leak can run unnoticed. See chase covers, chimney cap versus chase cover and the Beach Haven project.
Checklist
Closing up a seasonal house
- Check the chimney top before leaving for the season.
- Look for rust at seams and corners.
- Make sure the cap is in place.
- Close the damper.
- Check for ceiling stains when you return.
Misconceptions
Shore myths
"It's a seasonal house, so it's fine."
Weather works on it all year.
"Caulk will hold."
Sealant on a cover seam buys time but is not a repair.
What we look at
Where a chase cover fits
Framed chimneys
A chase is a framed enclosure around a metal flue. The chase cover is its lid.
What it does
Sheds water off the top of the chase and away from the flue.
Why it fails
Seams rust or open, and water gets to the wood.
Why it matters
A leak in the cover can reach the framing for months before it shows.
Symptoms
| Symptom | Possible cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Rust streaks down the chase | Cover corrosion | Replace or reseal cover |
| Stained ceiling or soft wood near chimney | Water entering through cover | Inspection |
| Cover sagging or pooling water | Cover deformed | New cover |
| Loose cap | Fastening | Secure or replace |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What did the Beach Haven job include?
A new chase cover installed, per its page.
How do I know if I have a chase?
A boxed enclosure around the chimney top, usually clad in siding, with a metal lid.
How long do chase covers last?
It depends on material and conditions.
Service areas
Other areas we serve
Chimney Academy
Guides that go with this page
Questions about your chimney in Beach Haven?
Call us, or send a scheduling request. We will contact you to confirm. Your appointment is not confirmed until we do.