Yes, especially in Rhode Island’s climate. Without a cap, your chimney is completely exposed to rain, snow, and debris. Water entering your chimney causes mortar erosion, brick deterioration, and can lead to expensive structural damage over time. Rhode Island’s freeze-thaw cycles make this worse – water gets into small cracks, freezes, expands, and creates bigger problems. We regularly see uncapped chimneys that need thousands of dollars in repairs that could have been prevented with a $300-500 cap installation. Beyond water damage, uncapped chimneys become homes for birds, squirrels, and other animals. Debris like leaves and twigs can block airflow, creating fire hazards and forcing smoke back into your home. A properly installed cap prevents all of these problems for a fraction of what repairs cost.