We realize it is January, but the mild winter has encouraged many homeowners to slack on their winterization, chimney care, and winter preparation. We wanted to take a few minutes to remind you of the importance of hiring a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to inspect and clean your chimney before harsh winter weather settles in. We’re currently looking at temperatures in the teens at night and 30s during the day, so many of us are already enjoying the warmth of a fire in the fireplace or wood stove. Let us help make sure that your chimney is up to the heat.

  1. Inspect the exterior of the chimney for damage. You can perform a ground level inspection without having to climb a ladder. Make note of any cracks or changes in the way the chimney looks from your lawn or driveway.
  2. Inspect the interior of your fireplace and make sure the damper works as it should. Please give us a call if you’re not sure about the proper functionality of the damper.
  3. Inspect the chimney cap, crown, and flashing to make sure they’re in good condition and ready for the snow that’s surely on the way by now. A mild winter isn’t generally how we do things, and I know a lot of area homeowners have been looking forward to a real winter.
  4. Make sure that you have a good stockpile of well-seasoned hardwoods on hand. You’ll need wood in a variety of sizes, so make sure you have small pieces for kindling and bigger pieces for a more sustainable fire.
  5. Remember not to overload the fireplace and to stack the wood so it has efficient air flow. Small fires produce less smoke and lead to less creosote buildup. A very large, hot fire can overheat the flue and cause damage.
  6. Review all of your fireplace and hearth safety rules with your children and other family members. Make sure everyone understands that the fireplace is not a toy and the hearth is not a play area for toys that may catch fire.
  7. Check all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure the batteries are good. Change batteries if you aren’t sure when you last installed new ones.
  8. Hire one of our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. Lou Curley’s Chimney Service currently employs two CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps and C-DET Technicians. Check out some of our other certifications at the bottom of our website.

Call Lou Curley’s Chimney Service at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a chimney inspection and cleaning, or to schedule your post-winter inspection and cleaning early. Remember, we generally get booked up as we near the end of February, so schedule early.