If you use a wood-burning fireplace or insert, you have a wonderful amenity that should bring you lots of comfort and enjoyment. You also have a vent system that needs annual cleaning to remain safe and efficient.
Waiting until summer is over to arrange for a visit from a chimney sweep isn’t the best idea. It’s much better to have your chimney cleaned in late spring or summer, if you can make it work within your schedule.
3 Reasons Not to Wait Until Fall for Chimney CleaningIt seems like everybody has the same idea: the cold season is almost here, so let’s get our chimney cleaned!
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with chimneys and not that many professional chimney sweep crews. Chimney companies are usually close to fully booked in the fall months and don’t have as much scheduling flexibility as at other times of the year.
Schedule your cleaning when it’s convenient for you and your chimney sweep.
Chimney sweeping often goes hand-in-hand with a chimney inspection. You don’t want someone to just clean your chimney and not pay attention to signs of damage or malfunction you need to know about.
Depending on what your chimney technician finds, certain repairs may be called for before it’s safe to use your chimney again. Uncovered Chimney problems might include:
These are broad examples of common chimney repair issues. Some are fairly easy and quick to fix; others may require rescheduling. During the fall, re-scheduling can be difficult. In the worst-case scenario, repair work may have to be put off until later in the winter or spring, which does you no good.
Schedule chimney cleaning and inspections as far ahead of the cold season as possible.
Neglected creosote can lead to big problemsThe job of a chimney sweep is to clean creosote out of your flue. Creosote is highly flammable and is the cause of most chimney fires each year.
Even if you aren’t using your fireplace during the warmer months, creosote can still cause problems in two ways:
Reduce the chance of creosote damage and foul odors by scheduling chimney sweeping in the spring or early summer.
A fourth reason for not waiting for fall to have your chimney cleaned is the nesting materials and possible dead animals that may have gotten into your chimney. Birds, raccoons, squirrels, rodents and the like may carry disease, and their nests easily can narrow the flue and cause a chimney drafting obstruction.
Chimney sweeps remove animals and their nests – and they can install a secure full-width chimney cap to prevent this problem next year.
Chimney Solutions of Alpharetta, GA, specializes in chimney sweeping, inspection and repair services throughout the Atlanta area. Speak with a chimney expert today at (770) 255-1300.
