Your chimney is a part of your home that often gets taken for granted. It’s such a strong looking structure, and we assume bricks and mortar will last forever. Couple that with the fact that most of the problems that occur with a chimney happen on the inside, and you probably don’t anticipate problems. But that fact is what makes it so important that you give us a call: the experts here at Black Velvet Chimney know exactly where to look and what to look for to make sure that your chimney is running efficiently while it keeps your family safe.
How Old is Your Chimney?
One thing we’ll take into consideration is how old your fireplace is. Believe it or not, some older homes that have fireplaces may have chimneys with no chimney liners! This is a real problem, as the chimney liner is an important part of the chimney’s anatomy. A chimney liner serves three main purposes. First, it protects the chimney’s interior from corrosion caused by combustion. It also protects other flammable items on the inside of your home from the heat of the fire and helps make your fireplace more efficient. All things considered, it’s easy to see how important a properly sized liner installed correctly is to the safety of your family.
Weakening of the Structure
Another problem that might be occurring is the weakening of the structural elements of your chimney, like the actual brick and mortar. When we inspect your chimney, we’ll take special notice of the state of your bricks and mortar. Over time, weather and the freeze-thaw cycle can cause your mortar and your bricks to become less stable. At Black Velvet Chimney, we know what to look for and have all the knowledge, tools, and experience to take care of a weakening chimney structure.
Odor Problems
Another hidden issue that you might be experiencing with your chimney is creosote buildup. Even if you can’t see this danger you might be able to smell it! Creosote builds up as you burn wood in your fireplace, especially if you use softer woods or wood that hasn’t been cured as long as it should be. The smoke produced from this type of fire will be heavier and contain more water vapor, and that will make it more likely to contribute to creosote buildup. Even though this occurs high up on the interior of your chimney, it definitely should not be ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ This material is highly flammable and can cause a dangerous chimney fire. But when you call in our expert technicians, they’ll know just how to handle bringing the creosote levels down to a safe level, leaving your chimney safe and odor free.
Be Safe
No matter what your chimney problem might be, you can trust us to come in, inspect your chimney, and find all those hidden chimney issues that might be hurting your chimney’s efficiency or putting your family in danger. Give us a call today or fill out our form for more information, we look forward to serving you.
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