Custom Copper Chimney Cap Details and Photo Page

Made for Contractor Daniel G. Corker Jr. of DACO Interiors, Inc. (804) 798-2470 in Ashland, Virginia for his client in Mechanicsville, Virginia (3/08)

Updated 6-22-2008

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This copper chimney cap projects is for contractor Daniel G. Corker Jr. of DACO Interiors, Inc. (804) 798-2470 in Ashland, Virginia for his client in Mechanicsville, Virginia. It is for their gas log fireplace. The inside of the base needed to be 35" x 43.5" to fit over this rock covered wood chimney box.

I made this to resemble the Tuscan arched style I make built to scale with the client's specifications.  This seems to be my most popular design. I show several different examples here for the different pricing for the different sizes for price comparison, and there are minor differences and improved construction on each one.  I shared about 33 digital photos with the client through e-mail during the construction process.

One detail I do that is different  from most any other fabricator is to add these 3/4" thick solid oak hardwood boards inside the copper base for better strength and to hold the stainless steel screws tight to the sides of the chimney. It is attached with some expanding gorilla glue and rivets top and bottom. Then the inside surface is varnished.

Below is the center pan being made to cover the middle and also hold the stainless steel screen in place. It has a 12.5" wide circular hole in the middle to surround the existing flue. The next shot is the pan mounted over the base and has the 4" tall sealed vertical collar over the flue hole to keep out driving rain that might get through the SS screen.

This shows the mid arch column section being drawn out and formed. It is made with all 4 column corners seamless to better hide the rivets holding it together over the center of the arch, instead of like I did with earlier fabrications.

The arch liners get attached. These pipes shown in the right photo below are pretty much just decorative, but take me nearly a full days work to measure each of the 16 sides, cut, fold, and attach these pipes in a single piece to each of the 4 columns with the 14 rivets from inside the columns. Alignment of the rivet holes are very tricky.

Here is the mid section being attached to the base with the 16 gauge stainless steel screen inside.

 I also included the custom wood frames for the chimney cap to rest on and attach into with the stainless steel mounting hardware (supplied), so this chimney cap is secure, yet removable for cleaning or other maintenance.

Here is the wood saddle set inside the base for transit.  Then you see the eaves being attached over the mid section.

Here is the roof frame work being made and attached before the roof skin can go on.  Not being perfectly square there is a ridge across the top.

Making the roof skin over this is easy enough, but the best placement of the internal bracing is more tricky.  Unlike a house roof with 24" centers, I do not want this to have any more than 12" between braces or hips.  This will give a very good support to the copper roof skin over them.

There are nearly 1,000 rivets that hold this chimney cap together, but very few of them will be seen from the outside. Just like with the auto makers, where they go to extremes to hid the fasteners for aesthetics, yet still be just as strong.

Since the amount of copper was $787.80 over what I had quoted on 1/08/08 there was no discounted final cost. I just needed to received the last check for $1,100.20 so I could get this shipped off to their client's house? They do prefer a business address, but that is not required.

Here is the final cost breakdown:
$ 350 wood crate
$ 350 shipping charge
$ 125 custom wood chimney cap saddle w/lag screws
$ 247.20 8# - 16ga stainless steel screen - 12.36 sq'
$ 135.83 13.6# Wood in the base - 13.583'

Copper content:
32.2# - copper base and pan - 25.76 sq'
29.6# - mid column section - 23.68 sq'
16# - eaves - 12.8 sq'
15# - roof bracing - 12 sq'
16.4# - back roof skin - 13.12 sq'
13# - front roof skin - 10.4 sq'

$ 2,932.80 - 122.2# of copper X .8 = 97.76 square feet X $30
 + $1,208.03 = $4,140.83 grand total.

Even without a contractors discount he got a really good deal on this project.  I normally do not like to work with contractors, since they are more difficult to work with that most any homeowner I have dealt with over the last decade, but this contractor was easy to work with and I would recommend him.   My aim is to please the homeowner who is really buying our work, but I was not able to contact them at all.

Cost for this project: $3,304.20 w/shipping

Note: I under bid this project by $836.63 mainly by not including the pan/collar and the eaves in that quote, but I stuck the the price I had quoted him of course.

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Below is a photo of our
Better Business Bureau's
NW Business Integrity Award
for the year 1998

1999 Better Business Award

We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our referral web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award

 

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