When a chimney sweep enters a home to check a chimney, he will examine the fireplace and the flue for signs of creosote build up. If their is build up as little as 1/8th inch or more, the sweep will use special brushes to remove it. Even this small amount of creosote can ignite inside the chimney, causing a fire that could spread to the rest of the home.

Sweeping starts by protecting the room with a large tarp placed at the bottom of the chimney. Equipment used in the sweeping will be set atop this tarp to prevent damage to the floor. The chimney sweep starts at the top of the chimney from the roof to clean the inside of the flue. He will brush the interior with specialty brushes to push down residue that has built up in the chimney’s flue. Masonry and flashing around the chimney on the roof are checked before the chimney sweep returns inside the house to finish the cleaning. Inside, the sweep will brush the creosote from the lower portion of the flue. The sweep will wrap up his service by cleaning out the ashes from the firebox and disposing of them.

Having a chimney sweep come to your home should be an annual service just before you use your fireplace or wood stove. Doing so will help to keep your home safe and ensure that you are ready to use your fireplace safely for the rest of the winter.

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Having the fireplace cleaned is the most common maintenance done every year. Soot can build up in the fireplace chimney. Birds and rodents may even build nests within the shelter of the dormant chimney. If the chimney is not cleaned, the results could be disastrous as all of these chimney contaminants could cause fires. Soot and other debris may burn hotter than the rest of the air in the chimney and create dangerous hot spots.

The integrity of the chimney also needs to be inspected. Chimneys can sustain damage that may allow smoke and burning embers into the confined attic spaces they are run through. This creates a very serious hazard that could be easily avoided by a simple inspection of the chimney. Some chimneys have retardant material inside and outside. Visual inspections may show damage that will need to be repaired.

The cap of the chimney should also be inspected to make sure that it is intact. The chimney cap blocks hot embers from escaping the chimney and potentially setting fires. Some caps have screening set around them to keep out animals that may try to get into the chimney. Animals can get into your home, or worse, become trapped within the chimney.

Imagine if the worst case scenario occurs, such as a fire breaking out and causes damage to your home. If your fireplace was found to be in disrepair, there is a chance that the insurance company will deny claims on the damage. This could lead to delays in getting repairs made that may lead to even further damage. It is the home owner’s responsibility to make sure that a fireplace is maintained, prior to use.

Keeping The Elements Out
The main benefit of these is that they prevent snow and rain from getting into your house. If you have an uncapped chimney, the precipitation can just come straight down and into the fireplace. Sometimes, it can come into the home. With a cap, these things are stopped before they get inside even though the smoke can still get out. You never want to just put a piece of wood or metal over the chimney on your own, or you could fill the home with smoke.

Reducing Animal Entry
The next benefit is that animals will not be able to get in. Mice and other varmints like to climb on rooftops, and they could climb down the chimneys if there are no chimney caps. The same is true for birds. These can cause a lot of damage. At the very least, you have to remove them.

Preventing Further Damage
You should also remember that rain and snow can cause future damage. They can cause the chimney to corrode and to mold, for instance. Animals can damage the inside of the home. Preventing them from entering eliminates this threat.

Saving You Money
As you can imagine, having chimney caps can actually save you a lot of money. You will not have to pay to remove animals from the home. You will not have to pay to repair the damage that can be caused by the elements. Your home will be protected, meaning that it will last for a long time, giving you and your family a secure, pristine place to call your own.

The first service available is basic chimney sweeping. It is vital that you get this service done on a regular basis because it can be very hazardous. The chimney can have problems with ventilation and the smoke can end up filling your home rather than through the top of your chimney. Creosote, soot, and debris buildup can also lead to dangerous fires.

Although most people think that this service is only important during the winter, it is actually a good idea to get your chimney cleaned during the spring and summer. If you leave the creosote, soot, and debris inside your chimney during these seasons, what results is a sooty odor. The humidity may make the odor worse so you’ll want sweeping done earlier to prevent the odor.

The second service offered is waterproofing for your chimney. During rainy days, water can make its way into your house through the sides of the chimney. What this does is cause water damage to your home and also erodes the inner walls of your chimney over time. You can hire a company to waterproof the exterior so that water is blocked off. They can also install rainpans or chimney caps as well.

The third service that chimney companies offer is chimney repairs. If your chimney is in bad condition or you’re having problem such as smoke coming into your home, you can get it inspected by a professional. They will let you know what is causing the problems and what needs to be repaired.

There are other services that chimney service companies offer from gas log installation, dryer vents, fixing smoke problems, and more. If you identify any problems with your chimney, it is recommended that you seek help as soon as possible. The problem may be hazardous and repairs can get more expensive if you let the problem persist.

Making sure an indoor fireplace adds only warmth and ambience to the home requires it be cleaned. When wood is burned, it is never completely combusted. In the smoke, particles of partially burnt gasses, tar-like substances, and vapors condense and stick to the sides of a chimney. This is called creosote. Over time, creosote deposits blocks off the passage of smoke out the chimney, and it returns back into the house. This toxic smoke leaves an awful lingering smell and inhaling it is potentially life threatening.

Several factors affect how fast creosote builds up, such as the type of wood burned and the chemicals it releases as a result, how dry the wood is upon burning, flue location, material and shape of fireplace, and frequency of its usage. Therefore, it is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how often a fireplace should be cleaned. It is recommended that chimneys be cleaned immediately following the first use. Even though it is probably not necessary to clean at this point, inspecting the amount of creosote buildup caused by a single burning should give some indication of how many uses a particular fireplace will take before it is time to clean. An inspector can give a good ballpark figure of how efficient your particular fireplace is and how frequently it should be cleaned.

Having a professional periodically inspect your chimney is important. An inspection is typically short, as inspectors have tools to accurately measure creosote buildup without having to burn a fire. Since blowback of smoke is also sometimes caused by improper airflow, basements, pressure imbalance, and HVAC systems, an inspector may require access to other rooms of the house to check for any such contributing factors. Inspections are thorough, professionally done, and typically require minimal involvement from the homeowner. Inspectors are usually prompt in identifying problems and can suggest appropriate remedies to make the fireplace fully functional.