How Often Should I Get My Chimney Cleaned?
Chimney cleaning isn’t a cosmetic job. It’s 100% about safety.
The creosote and other byproducts left after a season of warm fires are a danger many homeowners don’t acknowledge.
It only takes a small amount of creosote sticking to the walls high up your chimney to start a fire you won’t even know is burning until it spreads to the rest of your house.
If you burn wood as fuel, creosote buildup starts as soon as your first fire of the season. Burning Pine, for example, makes this buildup more severe, as the burning sap deposits easily. But even if you burn excellent firewood, like Beech or Hawthorn, you still get the dangerous accumulation over time.
That’s why you should get your chimney cleaned once a year. And if you didn’t get yours cleaned last spring, you really should book the next possible appointment you can get. We’re already booked into February, so call today to get one of those few in demand spaces we still have.
Every year? That seems crazy!
If you use your fireplace sparingly through the year, you might be able to get away without a cleaning every year. But you certainly need an inspection. Don’t leave your chimney cleaning up to your instincts. Get a professional inspection and make an informed decision.
An inspection is also your best bet at catching any developing problems. A crack in the chimney or a fast-wearing part that needs to be replaced might not be apparent to an untrained eye.
Why waiting is always a bad move.
Waiting almost always results in additional repairs.
The longer you wait, the more time a problem has to develop and the worse any existing problems will get.
The modest cost of an inspection or cleaning today is nothing compared to the expense of an emergency repair or, worse, a house fire.
Winter freeze cycles and moisture combined to take a toll on the masonry and other materials in your chimney. Keeping an eye on the structure is a good idea.
It’s not just about cleaning out the creosote and looking for problems, either. If you haven’t used your fireplace in a while, pests may have made a home in there with nests that can completely block the flow of smoke and air upward. A chimney inspection and cleaning can take care of that.
Lots of families across the region started up their fireplaces last weekend. If you plan to use yours this winter, give us a call to book your chimney inspection and cleaning. The sooner the better!
