Some things you can let go until a later time. If you miss seeing a movie, you can catch it later when it comes out on DVD. You can take guitar lessons this week or next week, or even the next week if you want to. You can postpone your vacation for a week or two if something else comes up. Finally, you can even put off having your chimney cleaned if it’s early in the spring or summer. However, the time to put off your chimney inspection runs short as fall approaches. You might want to rethink starting those fires if you haven’t had your chimney inspected.
Why Does My Chimney Need Cleaning?
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that you have your chimney cleaned on an annual basis by a CSIA certified chimney sweep. But why is this necessary? There are several things that a certified chimney sweep will be looking for when they inspect your chimney.
First, when you use your fireplace, there are certain materials that escape up your chimney in the form of smoke: water vapor, carbon monoxide, benzene, sulfur dioxide, and a whole lot of other things that you don’t want entering your home. When they reach the cooler section on the upper part of your chimney, the smoke condenses onto the walls of the chimney and sticks there, forming an extremely flammable substance called creosote. This can cause real problems if a spark or ember blows up the chimney; a chimney fire could develop very quickly with damaging effects to your chimney for sure, and worse, to your home.
Blockages
Another thing that your chimney inspector will be looking for is dried leaves, papers, or even bird nests or animal nests. This can cause a big problem for the homeowner as well. Here again, if a random spark or ember makes its way up the chimney and lands on that dry debris, you could have a chimney fire on your hands. Even though it may seem that this would be easy to see and remove, it’s best left to the professionals with the proper tools and techniques.
Cracked Chimney Cap or Structural Damage
Your chimney inspector will pay special attention to the condition of your chimney and its components. Sometimes a chimney fire can occur without the homeowner even being aware of it . If this is the case, your chimney inspector will advise repairs as well as cleaning. If your chimney cap is cracked or damaged, you will want to have this repaired or replaced as well.
Don’t Put it Off
Don’t put off having your chimney inspected and cleaned by the experts at Black Velvet Chimney any longer. Call soon and you’ll soon be enjoying cozying up in front of your fireplace without worries during those cool autumn evenings.
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