These last days of summer are so precious! It’s time to take one last trip to the beach before the chilly days of winter. In the midst of all the business, there’s one job that you best not neglect – getting your chimney inspected and cleaned before you’re ready to use your fireplace again!
What Will An Inspector Do?
One of the things your inspector will be looking for is creosote. When you burn a fire in your fireplace, the smoke that is released up your chimney contains a lot of different substances:
“water vapor, gases, unburned wood particles, hydrocarbon, tar fog and assorted minerals”. When the smoke hits the top of your chimney, where the bricks and mortar are cooler, the vapor condenses and forms creosote. Creosote is thick and sticky, or maybe even hard and a shiny substance which just happens to be incredibly flammable. If this substance gets to be an eighth of an inch or more, the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that you have your chimney cleaned.
Another thing that your chimney inspector will be looking for is obstructions of any kind that might put your chimney at risk for a chimney fire. If you’ve waited until the end of the summer to get your chimney cleaned, you might have several things in your chimney that could easily cause a fire. This includes debris or old papers that have blown into your chimney, dry leaves or twigs, or even bird or other animal nests.
Because your chimney is dark and out of the way of the wind, precipitation, and other predators, it makes an ideal place for an animal or bird to raise their young. When the happy family moves out, the nest remains, getting dryer and dryer. When you light a fire, a spark could reach that obstruction and start a chimney fire. It’s very important that these obstructions be removed so that your home and family stay safe and sound.
Chimney Fires
Did you know that your chimney can have structural damage? It looks like an incredibly sturdy structure, and it actually is. But over time, all things can have damage from wear and tear and weathering, your chimney included. Another little-known fact is that you can have a chimney fire without even realizing it. Your chimney inspector will also be looking for any type of structural damage that will need to be repaired before you use your fireplace.
Hire CSIA Certified Professionals
Now is the time to get a call in to schedule your chimney inspection and cleaning – before the big fall rush hits. Make sure you call CSIA certified professionals like those at Owens Chimney Service to make sure that you have top-notch service from highly experienced technicians.