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Why fit a birdguard to a chimney pot of flue?

Date Posted: 24 February 2016

10 reasons to fit a birdguard to a chimney pot or flue


  1. To prevent birds and other animals entering your chimney from the top. If birds come down the chimney, once inside the house they can do untold damage to furnishings and treasured objects as well as providing a bit of a shock for the householder
  2. To stop birds nests being built inside your chimney. Birds are great architects and builders and can easily form a birds nest in any type of chimney. Larger birds like Jackdoors build nests several feet down inside chimneys and are very difficult and expensive to remove
  3. To keep your chimney safe. Birds nests can block the free flow of gases such as Carbon Monoxide from leaving the home via the chimney once the fireplace or stove is ignited.
  4. Keep rain out. Many birdguards from Colt Cowls have a dual function of stopping rain from entering the chimney and causing damp problems.
  5. To stop unpleasant smells. Birds and other animals can often get trapped down chimneys, die and start to decompose producing foul odours!
  6. To provide ventilation. Birdguards can provide ventilation in disused chimneys without having to entirely cap them off.
  7. To comply with regulations. For gas fires, many of the Colt Cowls birdguards comply with BS5871.
  8. To help chimney sweeps. Certain types of chimney birdguards such as the High Top Birdguard come with a lid which helps the chimney sweep know when his brush has reached the top of the flue as it will hit the underside allowing the birdguard to be swept!
  9. To protect your flue liner. You may have had an expensive stove and flue liner installed. Birds can damage these if they enter the chimney, and once in residence, the birdguards can be expensive to remove as well as causing damage to the liner.
  10. To save you money! The big one!... we all like to save money and at the end of the day by installing a simple birdgaurd on a chimney pot of chimney flue you will avoid all the problems above which can be costly to rectify.

Colt Cowls supply a vast range of chimney birdgaurds. You will find the product that is most suited to you and your chimney by studing the Colt Cowls Catalogue or alternatively browsing the website. Alternatively you can always call us on 0870 2411041 for advice.