Your chimney has a major function in your home and it works hard to keep the smoke and flames from a fire from entering your home. There are many myths about chimneys that have been floating around for years and we want to address some of them. Our goal is to give you the correct information that will help keep you and your family safe when you use your chimney.

Here are 4 chimney myths that need to be squashed immediately:

Cleaning your chimney is easy to do without the help of a professional.

There are hundreds of do-it-yourself chimney cleaning videos on YouTube, but in reality, cleaning your chimney is not that easy. The creosote from a single chimney can fill several buckets and it is a very messy job if the creosote is not removed properly. If you do not remove all the creosote from your chimney, you may end up with a chimney fire.

I only need to fix my chimney if there is major damage.

It is always better to fix chimney damage when it begins, because the cost can be much lower. Plus, when you have the damage fixed right away, you are preventing more damage from occurring. Major damage can become a disastrous event if you wait too long, because a few loose bricks can quickly turn into a few more that completely collapse your chimney.

I don’t use my fireplace, so I don’t need to have my chimney cleaned or inspected.

Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and debris can all buildup inside your chimney and cause significant damage. Water and moisture can also seep into the bricks of your chimney, which can cause mold to grow. This mold can quickly spread to the rest of your house. If you have your chimney cleaned and inspected regularly, you will not need to worry about these issues becoming major problems that will cost thousands of dollars to repair.

I found a low-cost cleaning and inspection, so I am getting the best for my money.

Unfortunately, there are many people who say that they are professional chimney sweeps and charge very little for their services. While they may do a basic cleaning of your chimney, they will most likely miss most of the creosote as well as any damage that may be occurring. Their low-cost service may leave you and your chimney vulnerable, because you may use your chimney not realizing that the amount of creosote inside could start on fire or that you have so many loose bricks that your chimney could collapse at any minute.

These are some of the myths that have been going around for a long time. We want you to have the correct information to keep your family safe when you are using your fireplace. Our chimney services extend well beyond Drexel Hill and into most townships, towns, and cities along the Main Line. Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule a consultation, chimney inspection, chimney cleaning, or dryer vent cleaning.