Going Nuts Trying to Find the Right Top Plate/Rain Cap Combo!

[Don Ed]

I am going crazy searching the web (including this site) trying to find the most economical and best functioning combination for my top plate and rain cap. I'm planning on working with Chimney Liner Depot for my flex liner (Flex King) as the product seems solid and the price after talking to them seems fair. My problem is that I am going to need a terra cotta top plate (9" x 18" or probably have to settle for 13" x 18" as that seems to be a size you can actually buy) along with a rain cap.

I just don't know which rain cap would be the best/smartest deal. My wife and I like the looks of the Guardian Rain Cap but it is higher in cost than others. I read on Hearth.com someone saying that the mesh froze up on really cold days. I'll take anyone's advice and/or thoughts on a good top plate/rain cap combination.

I'm tired of looking and ready to get buying!

 

[DAKSY]

My problem is that I am going to need a terra cotta top plate (9" x 18" or probably have to settle for 13" x 18" as that seems to be a size you can actually buy) along with a rain cap.

Terra cotta top plate? Why? Most liner kits that I've seen come with an 18 x 18 Stainless Steel top plate,
& a cap that has a cam-lock type attachment to the liner retaining flange on the plate...
The plate can be cut with good snips & the bent with a hand seamer to conform to your terra cotta tile..
Generally, we apply RTV to the top surface of the tile to hold the plate securely, after we pack the tile
- around the liner - with unfaced fiberglass...
Then we zip-screw the liner to the flange on the top plate to secure them together...
If you don't wanna use the cap from the kit, any standard cap - sized to your flue tile -
either Stainless Steel or painted sheet metal can then be installed over the plate...
We use ones from HY-C...

 

[Don Ed]

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying but I am not finding 18 x 18 as a very easy to find top plate size. Can you point me in the right direction? My thinking on getting the terra cotta top plate (which does include the connection for holding up the top of the liner) is that it is already in the correct shape. I appreciate you responding to my post.