Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Choose a copper or a stainless steel chimney cap?

I have to make a choice between purchasing a copper or a stainless steel chimney cap. If price is not the issue, why should someone choose one type over the other?

Greg Kaplan
homeowner - Knoxville, Tennessee USA
February 5, 2009

Stainless

Umashankar Gupta
- Nagpur, Mharastra, India
March 29, 2009

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All depends on the look you want as you are comparing apples to oranges. For a copper color, or green aged copper look...co with copper.
For shiny or matte grey look go with stainless.
Concerning corrosion resistance and durability. Use 304 or better yet 316 stainless steel and have it electropolished they will keep for years and you only need to clear bird poo off with soap water and Windex Commercial Line [on eBay or Amazon] .
We electropolished the giant exhaust stacks for the FastCat ferries built for the British Columbian gov't (although the ferries are not in use, wrong design, WAY OVER budget, and a waste of taxpayers' money...but that's a whole other story haha!)

They have been moored outside in salt water for YEARS now and the stacks still look great.

Cliff Kusch
electropolishing shop - North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
September 19, 2009