Spring clean your chimney

Spring clean your chimney

When’s a smart time to have your chimney cleaned?  For one, it’s when you’re not actively using your chimney, putting the decision to have it swept in the spring or summer seasons.  However, you’ll come to know that the earlier you have your chimney swept, the better—for many good reasons.

 

Spring clean your chimney

Imagine that it’s cold out, snowing sideways, and you’ve spent the entire winter day looking forward to gathering around your fireplace that night.  When you go to use it, you realize there’s something wrong.  Suddenly, your beloved fireplace is out of commission for weeks until you can get a professional to have a look.  Being proactive in caring for your chimney means never having to deal with this situation.

 

Protect your chimney

Damaged flue liners, billowing smoke, cracked masonry, and dangerous fumes—these are all problems that can be spotted during a normal chimney inspection, and having your chimney cleaned will bring any issues forward for analysis.  After all, you wouldn’t take your car on a long road trip without having its oil changed first, would you?

 

Get Rid of Buildup, Nests, and Pests

During the winter, animals burrow, build nests, and find shelter from the cold weather.  That shelter could very well mean your chimney.  Having your chimney cleaned in the spring can clear out any nests, debris, and blockages.  All of these blockages contribute to greater, more hazardous issues like constricted airflow or chimney fires.

 

Why clean in the springtime? 

With nicer weather, animals don’t need to hunker down in your warm chimney as often.  Still, without a chimney cap, your chimney is subject to debris and potential blockages even in the spring, summer, or the fall.  When you have your chimney cleaned in the spring, your chimney professional will recommend installing a chimney cap to prevent debris from becoming a problem.  They’ll install a cap if it’s needed, too.  Now, when you go to use your fireplace in the cooler weather, you won’t have to worry about your chimney being obstructed with your chimney cap’s protection.

 

No More Fireplace Odor

You know that smell.  The one that drifts through the house, a mix of chemically smelling soot that lingers around the mouth of your fireplace.  That’s the buildup of the residue known as creosote in combination with soot.  The smell is noticeable when the chimney isn’t in use, which makes spring and summer months the time of the year when you’ll start smelling this odor.

Having your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned means immensely reducing this odor that wafts through your house.  You can say goodbye to smelly fireplaces that stink up your living areas and a more important bonus—you’ll rid the chimney of dangerous creosote buildup, which if there’s a significant presence, can cause a chimney fire and toxic air pollutants.

 

Repairs

Warmer weather is better, chimney cleanings and inspections reveal any problems your chimney may have.  While the most basic of these issues can be resolved on the spot like creosote buildup, installing a chimney cap, and giving a chimney the cleaning it needs, there are other problems that demand a lot more attention.  A damaged liner or flue needs to be addressed as soon as possible.  It’s much better to have this work done when spring rolls around because you won’t be exposing your house to the cold outside temperatures.  Even though chimney professionals can work in all conditions, it does make it easier and safer to address chimney issues when the roof isn’t slippery with ice or covered in snow.

 

Exterior masonry repairs

Although, if your chimney needs exterior masonry repairs, it is important to get this taken care of during the warmer months.  Once the temperature begins dropping masons will not be able to complete these repairs without jeopardizing the integrity of the chimney.

 

Chimney Sweep Availability

Professional chimney sweeps find themselves particularly busy in the fall.  It’s the season where homeowners are thinking about the looming winter months, the cold it will bring, and the fires that they’ll have to stave off the weather.  It doesn’t take very long for chimney sweeps to have a fully booked schedule.  Being proactive about your chimney’s cleanliness and health means getting a chimney sweeper to conduct an inspection and cleaning early on.

You’d be surprised about the lead times in the fall months.  Making sure there’s plenty of opportunity to have this crucial job done before then can protect your chimney from experiencing serious issues before you light that fire and protect your family from the dangerous, sometimes fatal, fumes and combustion byproducts.

 

Spring clean your chimney

Safety and Protection Spring cleaning isn’t just for getting the dust bunnies out of your house or finally washing your windows.  It’s about cleaning and caring for all the critical features your house has, and the chimney and fireplace should be at the top of the list.  Improper care of chimneys can mean toxic fumes like carbon monoxide leaking into your living spaces, sometimes undetected, and putting you and your family at risk.  It means problems that are neglected that could worsen your chimney’s integrity if not reckoned with right away.

When you put cleaning your chimney at the top of your spring to-do list, you can resolve and prevent major chimney issues.  We’ve dedicated ourselves to making sure your home is safer and cleaner after we’ve completed every project.

 

Contact us

St John Chimney Sweeps  Address  1613 Reed Rd D1, Pennington, NJ 08534 Proudly Serving Mercer County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, & Surrounding Areas

Website http://www.stjohnchimneysweeps.com/

Email:  stjohnchimneysweeps@verizon.net   Phone Number: (609) 737-0133

 

Two Different Chimneys

 

Spring Clean your Chimney

Spring Clean your Chimney

There’s no better time to get your chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional chimney sweep than right now.  Spring is here, which means more rain, more pests, and probably some much needed deep cleaning.  Spring clean your chimney to remove the winter soot and be prepared for the summer’s heat.

 

Spring Clean your Chimney

Spring is typically the best time to check your masonry and fix any holes or replace any bricks that are loose.  Heavy rains can eat away at the bricks and mortar, creating holes for water leaks and making your chimney system weak.  There could also be damage to your chimney or flue liner as a result of moisture seeping into the exterior masonry, causing the bricks, stones, or flue tiles to crack.  Flashing disruption can lead to serious roof damage and eventual water leaks into the attic and ceilings of your home.  Cracks can cause venting problems and become a safety hazard.  An annual inspection can detect any dangerous cracks or leaks and they can be addressed or repaired immediately.

 

Moisture

Moisture damages should be repaired quickly, in order to keep the costs of repairs low and slow down any deterioration.  In addition, by scheduling your chimney cleaning and inspection during the spring season, you beat the rush, which is typical in fall and winter, with temperatures cooling down.

 

Odor

Your masonry takes a beating from all the moisture as the seasons change, leaving you with potential issues.  Anytime you use your fireplace, some amount of creosote is deposited in your chimney flue. Creosote is highly flammable and becomes more difficult and expensive to clean, the longer it builds up inside the lining of the chimney.  Because it is highly combustible, if it builds up in sufficient quantities and the internal flue temperature is high enough, it may start a chimney fire.

This means that when it gets hot outside, particularly if moisture has made its way into your chimney, the deposits in the liner can emit a sour odor.  The sour odor intensifies as summer heats up.  Having chimney sweeps come to clean and inspect your chimney will ensure your house will smell fresh and clean.

 

Spring Clean your Chimney

Routine maintenance services should include a complete chimney inspection as well as the removal of any hazardous or combustible creosote and eliminating any accumulation of soot, dirt and debris.  Keep in mind that the National Fire Protection Association recommends that that you have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year or even more frequently if you have a fireplace or wood burning appliance that you use frequently.

 

Contact us

St John Chimney Sweeps  Address  1613 Reed Rd D1, Pennington, NJ 08534 Proudly Serving Mercer County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, & Surrounding Areas   Website http://www.stjohnchimneysweeps.com/ Email:  stjohnchimneysweeps@verizon.net   Phone Number: (609) 737-0133

Chimney Sweeps in Mercer County NJ

 

 

 

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