You’ve heard of spring cleaning. Homeowners declutter their homes, prepare for warm weather, and complete necessary maintenance that wasn’t possible during the cold months. This year, consider winter cleaning—that is, chimney cleaning!
Why Sweep Your Chimney?
Your chimney works constantly while a fire is burning. It vents smoke, particle pollution, hazardous gases, and excess heat through the flue and out of the house. As these materials rise up the flue, soot and creosote can coat the flue walls. Over time, if soot and creosote aren’t cleaned out of the flue, it can build up and obstruct airflow, corrode the flue liner, and even ignite. The best time to clean the chimney system is not at the end of the season when most of the danger has passed. It’s best to clean the chimney throughout the winter season to keep the chimney system working efficiently, to prevent accidental fires, carbon monoxide exposure, and winter damage.
When Should You Sweep Your Chimney?
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends regular chimney sweeps and annual chimney inspections for the safest and most efficient chimney system. Every chimney needs to be inspected annually, but how often you schedule sweeps will depend on the type of appliance you have, the age and health of the system, and even the type of fuel you burn. If you burn wood that isn’t properly seasoned it will burn incompletely and poorly, producing more ash, soot, and creosote, and require more chimney sweeps for your system. When you choose a trusted chimney professional to service your chimney, he may recommend more or less frequent sweeps based on your chimney’s history. This is why it’s important to find a chimney expert you can trust.
Who Should Sweep Your Chimney?
You can find just about anyone to clean a chimney, from the neighborhood handyman to your’s truly. What you have to remember, though, is the chimney system is one of the largest working systems in your house. It affects everything and can be affected by everything. A leaky chimney can cause water damage throughout your entire house. A dirty or dangerous chimney can ignite a devastating fire, and your neighborhood handyman will not be insured, nor will your homeowner’s insurance likely cover his work, or yours! You may seem like the next best thing, but you can hire a professional to clean your chimney for less than the cost of brushes and equipment you will need to get the job done.
When you schedule with Northwest Fireplace & Chimney, you can rest assured that your chimney and fireplace (or appliance) will be cleaned from top to bottom. Our technician will come in, get the job done, and leave the home exactly as it was. You don’t have to worry about ash dust filling your home or coating your furniture. Not only does Northwest Fireplace & Chimney offer chimney sweeps, but we also do inspections, installations, repairs, and more. We work on chimneys year-round and put customer safety first at every step.
Schedule with Northwest Fireplace & Chimney by calling 219-413-2349 or scheduling online today.