You may think that your chimney is ready for its first fire of the season, but have you had it cleaned recently? If you haven’t then you may be surprised at what could be lurking inside your chimney.
Here are 3 things that may be lurking in your chimney:
Creosote
Creosote is a tar-like substance that is black and highly flammable. It forms inside everyone’s chimney, so do not think that you are alone here, and it needs to be removed before it gets too thick. A professional can remove the creosote from your chimney, and it is the best way to guarantee that you will not have a chimney fire this season.
Animals
Animals are always looking for a warm place to stay, but they can also look for shelter during the summer months. If you do not have a chimney cap installed, you may want to consider one, so that you never come home to find a squirrel or other animal running around your home. Unfortunately, most of these animals won’t make it into your home, as they will get stuck in your chimney instead. You won’t even know that they are there until you begin to smell a pungent odor and that is usually when you and everyone else calls a professional in to take a look.
Debris
Finding debris inside a chimney is quite common, and most of the time, leaves, twigs, and garbage are removed during an inspection and cleaning. A chimney cap can also prevent these items from entering your chimney, so we recommend installing one to prevent a problem when you light a fire.
Fireplace Safety and Chimney Inspections in Drexel Hill
While these are all the more normal things that you may find in your chimney, there are many documented cases of more surprising items. A man in the United Kingdom was using the chimney to stash a million dollars that he stole, while the Australians used to throw shoes into their chimneys to keep the evil spirits away. The most surprising finds though, would be when people are found in a chimney. Most of these people ended up getting stuck as they tried to enter the home to steal things, while others chose the chimney as a hiding place.
You just never know what you will find inside your chimney, but you may want the professionals to do the investigating. After all, do you really want to be the one to find something too unusual? We have two CSIA Certified chimney sweeps standing by to assist you with your chimney needs. Give us a call at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a chimney inspection or cleaning. We provide chimney services throughout the Main Line region.