A spark arrestor is the mesh screen built into a chimney cap that stops hot embers and sparks from escaping the flue while still letting smoke draft out.
The mesh sits around the sides of the cap between the roofline and the outlet, sized with openings small enough to catch embers but open enough not to choke draft or clog with creosote. Most manufactured chimney caps come with spark arrestor mesh built in as one piece, rather than as a separate add-on part, and stainless steel mesh holds up far longer under repeated heat cycling and moisture than lighter gauge materials. The mesh also needs periodic cleaning, since a heavy coat of soot across the screen can choke draft almost as badly as no cap at all.
With as much wooded and rural property as there is around Hillsville, Galax, and Fancy Gap, a spark arrestor matters more than it might in town, since a stray ember landing on a dry roof or in leaf litter near the house is a real risk during wood-burning season. Mesh that's rusted through or torn loses its purpose even if the rest of the cap still looks fine from the ground.
More masonry vocabulary from the glossary.
The services where this term comes up.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
