Avoiding Issues With Your Home's Chimney

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A chimney can be essential for safely operating a fireplace. Unfortunately, homeowners will often be diligent with keeping the fireplace clean while neglecting to properly care for the chimney, and this can increase the risk of the property suffering fireplace-related problems.

Have The Chimney Swept Yearly

Keeping the chimney clean is one of the most important steps in avoiding problems. If you fail to have the chimney swept at least once a year, the amount of soot that collects in it can be enough to inhibit smoke from venting through it. As a result, the home can fill with dangerous fumes. Fortunately, chimney sweeps will be able to easily clean your chimney's interior so that this will not be an issue that you have to worry about encountering. Homeowners will often be worried that these services will cause a mess in the interior of the home, but these services will be able to put a screen in place to prevent soot and ash from escaping the fireplace.

Only Use Fuel Sources That Are Compatible With The Fireplace

The type of fuel that you use in the fireplace will be another factor that can influence the condition of the chimney. Burning fuels that your fireplace is not designed to handle can have negative impacts on the chimney due to the soot and other debris that it can produce. This is often a problem with wood-burning fireplaces as individuals may attempt to burn items other than logs in it. This can lead to the interior of the chimney quickly becoming coated in a thick layer of soot and ash. Making sure to only burn the appropriate type of fuel for the fireplace can be a good way of avoiding needless chimney damage or cleaning costs.

Cap The Chimney During The Summer

The summer months will be the time of the year when you are the least likely to use your fireplace. As a result, you may want to cap it during this time. While capping the chimney may seem like it will only provide marginal benefits, it can dramatically reduce the amount of debris that gathers in the chimney. In addition to reducing this potential problem for the chimney, having it capped during the summer months can reduce the impacts the open chimney will have on your home's interior temperature. Having the chimney cleaned at the start of the summer months can be a convenient time to address the need to have it cleaned yearly while also allowing the cleaning service to also put the cap in place.

To learn more, contact a chimney sweep.


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