Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Cap & Crown Across Smithtown
A chimney cap replacement in Smithtown typically runs $285-$540 for a standard single-flue stainless model, and crown repair usually lands between $275 and $650 depending on how much mortar has to be rebuilt. Most jobs are completed in a single visit. If you’re seeing water in the firebox, chunks of mortar on the roof, or a cap that’s rusted through, call (631) 502-3612 and Wendell or one of his crew will walk you through what to expect before anyone climbs a ladder.
We’ve worked on capes near Main Street, split-levels over by Nesconset, and colonials up around Landing and the Nissequogue. Smithtown has a lot of masonry chimneys built in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and they share the same weakness: crowns and caps that were never designed for decades of Long Island Sound salt air. That’s what we fix most often.
Why Top Hat Chimney Is Smithtown’s Preferred Chimney Cap & Crown Company
Wendell Pike started Top Hat Chimney in 1999, and he still answers the phone. That matters more than most people realize until they’ve been quoted one number by a national chain and handed a different one at the door. Smithtown homeowners call us because the price we give on the phone is the price on the invoice, and because Wendell puts his name on every job and runs into you again at the hardware store.
Every job gets the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the crown coating doesn’t hold or the cap you chose isn’t doing what it should, one call brings the crew back at no charge. We don’t ask you to trust that. We hand it to you in writing, every time, on every single job.
We answer calls live, around the clock. Not a voicemail box. Not a call center. If your cap blew off in a nor’easter at 9 PM and you need to know what to do before dawn, the phone rings and a person picks up. It might be Wendell himself. We also give you a real arrival window and call if it slips, and the sweep who shows up is background-checked and in uniform.
Our Chimney Cap & Crown Services in Smithtown
Cap Installation
We install multi-flue caps, standard single-flue caps, and custom fabrications for Smithtown’s older masonry chimneys, where the flue layout rarely matches today’s stock sizes. If you just converted from oil to gas and your old cap doesn’t fit the new liner, we’ll size it correctly. A proper cap keeps rain, leaves, and the occasional Smithtown raccoon out while your flue still breathes.
Cap Replacement
The galvanized caps installed on most 1950s-70s Smithtown homes were never meant to fight Long Island Sound air. They pit, rust through at the base, and start letting water run straight down the flue. We replace them with stainless models from Olympia Chimney and Famco that hold up properly in this environment. The old one comes off, the new one goes on, and we photograph everything so you see exactly what was there before and after.
Crown Repair
Crowns on Smithtown post-war homes fail from the top down. Nor’easter wind-driven rain works into hairline cracks, then freeze-thaw cycles along the Sound-moderated edge of town pry the mortar apart. We rebuild crowns with the right slope and overhang so water sheds away from the flue instead of pooling. This is the single most common job we do in town.
Crown Coating
When the crown is still structurally sound but the surface is spalled and porous, coating is the better call. We use Gelco crown coat, which seals the surface and stops the absorption that leads to freeze-thaw cracking. On a 1960s split-level near the Nesconset area, we sealed a completely spalled crown with Gelco and replaced a rusted galvanized cap with a stainless Olympia Chimney model. That crown is still solid.
Trusted Brands We Service in Smithtown
We work with Famco, Copperfield, Olympia Chimney, and DuraFlex for caps, dampers, and liners. If your copper or stainless cap from one of those brands needs service or replacement, we know the product and stock common parts locally for faster turnaround in Smithtown. We’ll also tell you plainly if a cheap replacement from a big-box store will do the job, and when it won’t. The camera footage and a plain-English verdict, every time, no exceptions.
Common Chimney Cap & Crown Problems We See in Smithtown Homes
- Salt-air corrosion on galvanized caps and flashing. Long Island Sound air carries salt that eats galvanized steel quickly. We regularly see Smithtown caps with pinholes and rusted bases after just five to seven years, while stainless models hold up for twenty or more.
- Spalled crowns from freeze-thaw cycling. Smithtown’s winters aren’t as brutal as upstate, but the humidity near the Sound means water gets into crown micro-cracks and freezes anyway. Hairline cracks become missing chunks within a few seasons.
- Cross-flue contamination in shared chimneys. Smithtown’s cape cods and split-levels often run a fireplace flue and an oil-burner flue in the same masonry stack, separated only by a terra cotta divider tile. When that tile cracks, flue gases cross between the two. A damaged crown or cap accelerates the problem by letting water in that spalls the divider further.
- Oversized flues after oil-to-gas conversion. When Smithtown homeowners convert from oil to gas, the existing flue is often too large for the new appliance. Without a properly sized cap and liner, the flue stays damp longer, softening mortar joints from the inside out. This is routine work for us in town.
Pricing for Chimney Cap & Crown in Smithtown, NY
A standard single-flue stainless cap replacement in Smithtown runs $285-$540 installed. Multi-flue caps run $450-$800 depending on span. Crown repair typically costs $275-$650, with full crown rebuilds on larger chimneys landing between $600 and $1,100. Crown coating with Gelco usually falls between $300 and $550. Custom caps, which some Smithtown older homes need because of irregular flue spacing, start around $550 and go up from there. The factors that move the price are chimney height, roof pitch, flue size, and how much of the crown needs to be rebuilt. We give you the number before a single tool comes off the truck, and estimates are free. Call (631) 502-3612 for an exact quote.
We Also Serve Cities Near Smithtown
Top Hat Chimney works throughout Smithtown and nearby communities including Kings Park, Commack, East Northport, and Stony Brook. If you’re just over the town line and need a cap or crown looked at, call (631) 502-3612. We’ll get you scheduled and give you the same upfront pricing we give everyone else.
Serving Smithtown, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Smithtown area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Chimney Cap & Crown in Smithtown
Salt air accelerates galvanic corrosion on galvanized steel. Galvanized caps on Smithtown chimneys typically last five to seven years before the base rusts through, while stainless caps last twenty or more. If you’re replacing a galvanized cap that’s already failing, we’ll usually recommend stepping up to stainless. Call (631) 502-3612 for a free estimate.
Every year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too. On a 1960s colonial, the crown has been absorbing nor’easter rain and Sound-moderated freeze-thaw cycles for over sixty years. An annual inspection catches hairline cracks before they become missing chunks of mortar. It costs far less than a full crown rebuild later.
Yes. The flue that was sized for an oil burner is usually oversized for the new gas appliance, which means it stays damp longer and softens mortar from the inside out. We see this constantly in Smithtown oil-heat-belt homes. You may need a properly sized cap and likely a liner as part of the conversion. We’ll show you camera footage of the flue so you can see exactly what we’re seeing.
Yes, and it’s a problem we see regularly in Smithtown’s post-war homes. When the shared terra cotta divider between the fireplace flue and the oil-burner flue cracks, combustion byproducts from the heating appliance cross into the fireplace flue. A cracked crown makes it worse by letting water in that spalls the divider further. If you smell oil exhaust from your fireplace, call (631) 502-3612. This needs to be checked.
If the crown is still structurally sound but the surface is spalled and porous, coating is worth it. A Gelco coating seals the surface and stops water absorption that leads to freeze-thaw cracking. If chunks of mortar are missing or the crown is crumbling, it needs to be rebuilt. We’ll tell you which one applies after we get on the roof, and show you the photos.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Smithtown since 1999.





Before
After
Before
After
Before
After