Overall, the Flue-Cap was easy to install, well priced, and a great addition to the house. I'm writing this review right after installing, so I can't speak from experience yet... however, I find it extremely difficult to imagine rain or wild pests/critters being an issue, considering the coverage it provides. Here in South Carolina, the past month we've had a couple of high wind and rain storms, you know those side way rains. With the exception of that kind of storm, no rain is making it down the flue. Just make sure you get the right height. Product was nicely packed with VERY minor cosmetic defect. Shipping was incredibly fast. Installation was a breeze, took me a couple hours by myself (24"L x 49"W x 10"H multi-flue cap) from opening the package to finish. With that said, I was missing the "small tube of anti-seize", the instructions are horrible, and generally does not prepare you for the best success.
Here are some tips before you start heading up to your roof for install.
1) Have the right tools - you will need:
- Hammer Drill (or SDS Rotary... though that would be overkill)
- Impact Driver
- Caulk gun
- Knife (to cut the tip of caulk tube)
- Pliers
- long bit extender (helpful, especially if you install flange inwards, but not absolutely required)
2) If you are installing a small cap or have two people for a large one, then feel free to ignore this. If you are solo-ing, then I suggest after drilling the holes, place the metal frame on the chimney and install the Tapcons half way. This will allow you to lift the frame a bit. This is helpful for when you apply the caulk adhesive, because pre-applying it and trying to line up the frame afterwards is asking for a mess. I had all my screws on where they would go, half way, and lifted each side and applied the adhesive one side at a time. Before you tighten up the screws, put the lid cap on to make sure it's aligned with the mounting stubs. This will be your last chance to make some tweaks because mason isn't as forgiving like wood if you have to re-screw. If all good, bolt down and done!
Pros:
1) Provided Plenty of Hardware - I had a decent sized multi-flue cap ordered and packaged was 14 Tapcon screws, an extra wing nut, a whole tube of caulk, and the appropriate masonry drill bit (but missing the tube of anti-seize)
2) Well Priced - I was comparing 4 different company sites for essentially the same product. The few things that differed were:
- how far the top cap extends (the most I saw was 2.5" beyond the screen, this one is 2")
- what other materials is explicitly stated that it will include (aka, they may include everything RockFord includes, but did not state it on their website)
- MINOR differences in options (like size, color, etc...) and expected shipping time
The prices were largely in the same ball park, all within $100 in difference from the cheapest to the most expensive. This one was 2nd cheaper option, with the 3rd price up being only $30 more, but I decided with this because it offered essentially the same stuff (at least on paper) for less.
3) Easy Installation - the flue is light and easy to lift alone. My size is 24"L x 49"W x 10"H and I was able to carry it up the ladder to the roof (the roof is only like 10 feet climb from my back deck). I had originally planned on putting everything together (basically a dry fit test) and take it back apart to take it up. When I realized how light it was, I was able to uncomfortably carry it up the ladder. Despite the terrible instructions, I was able to install it without much difficulty.
Cons:
1) Missing Item - not a big deal because the anti-size application isn't crucial to the install. Not to mention, it's a few bucks at a hardware store. I'll grab one later and apply it.
2) Terrible Instructions - it's like the printer they are using is on its last lg. The ink is inconsistent (faded towards the middle), some text overlap an image, and the images figures are useless blob of ink. It also neglects to tell you what to even do with the silicone caulk. I went on their website again to look at the PDF instructions... and that's not even the same instruction. But, it did say what to do with the caulk (which is to apply it on the parameter of where your flange will be bolted, so it's an extra support to help glue it to the chimney).So, it took two different instructions to get the whole picture. Though, as I said before, it's very basic installation and really no issue even without the instructions. It's just that I'm the kind of person that will read an instruction several times and like to do it by the book, so if you're going to include instructions, do it right.
3) Fragile Hinge Pin - it says on the instruction to use a plier to straighten the bend they purposefully made on the pins. I tried to straighten it out and it broke. Happened on two of them and I just left the other two as is. Not a big deal cuz it's less than an inch loss of pin, but makes you doubt...