The three-foot tall, four-feet long sheet steel fabricated around my chimney is falling apart so I took it down.
All that is sticking up out of the chimney itself are the elaborate spark arrestors (multiple chimneys use the same concrete column) which look like 18" tall space ships sticking out of the top of the chimney.
I realize the cap I removed served an aesthetic purpose; but is that the ONLY purpose?
That is, with the spark arresters (or whatever they are) sticking out of the chimney still intact, what 'function' does the three-foot wide by four feet by two feet painted steel chimney 'surround' cap perform?
A secondary question would be advice for fabricating a new one if it's needed (it certainly would look better with it back on).