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Make Sure Your Home and Chimney Are Ready for Winter Weather

by | Oct 19, 2016 | Chimney Inspection

 

Your chimney is one item that is used the most in your house during the winter and you will want to make sure that it is in good shape before it gets too far into the heating season. There are many other things around your house that you will need to do in order to make sure that your home is ready for this winter season too.

Here are 6 ways to make sure that your home and chimney are ready for winter:

  1. You should have your chimney inspected every year by a professional to ensure that it is safe to use. A professional chimney sweep can clean out all of the creosote that has built up inside the chimney and make sure that there is not any water damage, cracks, structural damage or animals stuck inside.
  2. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are very important items to have in any house and you will need to make sure that they are working properly. You should check the detectors once a month, replace the batteries every six months, and replace the detectors themselves every five to ten years. Proper placement of these detectors is also important for the safety of your family.
  3. You will want to make sure that the gutters on your house are clean, so that rain and melting ice can flow through them properly. If the water cannot flow through them, it may end up leaking through the roof and chimney and causing damage to the inside of the house.
  4. Your roof may have some damage from summer storms and it is important to repair this damage before the snow starts to fall. You will want to repair any loose, cracked or missing shingles, so that water does not seep into the house.
  5. Make sure that the damper on your chimney is working properly, so that no cold air can leak into your house when it is closed. This will save you some money on your energy bills.
  6. You can also check for leaks around other areas of your house and try to seal them up. You can prevent approximately thirty percent of the cold air that comes into the house, by sealing gaps around piping, insulating outlets and switch plates and adding more insulation to your attic.

If you take the time now to properly maintain your home, you will not have to worry about trying to fix something in the middle of winter as there is a blizzard outside. One of our CSIA Certified chimney sweeps can assist you with making sure that your house and chimney are safe and secure for the upcoming winter season.

The chimney sweeps here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service are well-trained and highly certified. Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment with a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep in Drexel Hill or the surrounding areas. We will help ensure that your chimney is ready to face the quickly-approaching winter season without issue.