Many homeowners assume they are safe and sound with a fireplace that isn’t used. Many stop using this piece of a home, but they don’t realize that there are issues at play that need some attention. There are others that burn wood and logs of various types with theirs, and that’s a good thing, keeping warm and enjoying the rustic beauty of a fire that is well lit and kindled. Over time, however, attention is going to be needed to help maintain this in the home; otherwise issues can abound and cause serious problems. Call me at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service at 610-626-2439 if you run into potential problems with your chimney.
It’s easy to neglect the chimney, especially when you don’t really consider chimney service as a whole. However, if you’re going to maintain the value and safety of your home’s fireplace, you’re going to need to call in a professional from time to time. Let’s go over a couple of reasons to call a certified chimney sweep.
Cleaning the Interior (The Flue)
The interior of your chimney needs to be swept and cleared of debris. As smoke rises, debris can attach itself to the interior walls, or flue. That may not seem like a big deal, but if it clogs the pathway for the air, disaster can strike. The burning of wood creates smoke and dangerous gases that should not be breathed directly, and should clearly flow out of the home with relative ease. When there isn’t a pathway or the path is closed off, even if it’s marginal, that smoke and carbon monoxide can come back into the home and poison the inhabitants. A quick service to clean the interior can be the answer to this, and allow you to enjoy more fires without worry.
Repairing the Exterior
One of the major neglected aspects of a chimney is not the inside, but rather the outside. Repairing the exterior is crucial to allowing yourself to gain a semblance of hope moving forward with the home. Whether you want to sell your house down the road, or you simply want to make sure that everything is cosmetically in place, you’ll find that exterior chimney repair is a precise trade. Calling in a good chimney service can help you repair the masonry, ensure the pathways are clean and get your home’s value to rise, even if it’s marginal.
Inspections
Every homeowner with a chimney should schedule a yearly chimney inspection. While you can inspect the exterior and interior of the chimney on your own as a part of your regular home maintenance routine, a certified chimney sweep will be able to spot potential problems before they get out of hand.
There are some people who will talk about saving money by doing it yourself, and working through the DIY elements that abound today, and that’s not a good thing. If you attempt to work within the confines of this trade, you may be sorely disappointed by the difficulty and problems that you may run into after a simple error. It’s best to allow an expert chimney service to come through and fix issues with your chimney, and allow forward progress here. Without a helping hand, you could end up with a serious mess on your hands.