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It’s possible to install your chimney cap in some areas, but it’s usually better to hire a professional. Before you attempt a DIY chimney cap installation, check to see if your local building department requires a permit. If it does, you should hire a professional to pull the permit and complete the work for you. Even if you don’t need a permit, getting up on your roof is dangerous, especially if you have an aggressive pitch or slippery roof material, like metal. Hiring a chimney professional guarantees the job is done correctly and keeps you safe from injury.

If you’re looking for a cost-effective alternative to a traditional chimney, consider having a dummy chimney installed. Dummy chimneys can either be aesthetic-only or fully functional and can be installed on both new and older homes. Whether installed to match your neighborhood’s aesthetic or to vent your chimney, dummy chimneys are made out of a Glass-Reinforced Plastic (GRP) core, then covered with brick or stone slips to look like a traditional chimney.

Mansard roofs are still popular in Paris, where they originated, and throughout France. In the United States, you can find mansard roofs on some older buildings in Manhattan. The architecture also appears on some Victorian and Colonial-style homes. There are pockets of homes with mansard roofs in New York City and Los Angeles, where they were once more popular than they are today.

The least suitable roof for solar panels is a wood shake roof. An electrical mishap with your solar panels could start a fire on the roof, so some areas don’t allow solar panels on wood roofs. You don’t have to let a wood roof stop you from going solar. You can replace your wood shakes with shingles. Installing the panels on the ground is another option.