The sights and smells of autumn are wonderful! Colored leaves on the trees, pumpkin pie, burning leaves, the lights of high school football fields on Friday night – it just gets you in the mood to cuddle up in front of a warm fire after a long day of fall cleaning and raking leaves. And what about those college football games – greeting friends, friendly rivalries, and wearing those school colors! But the last thing you want to think about when you’re tailgating before the big game is whether or not your chimney has a dangerous level of creosote lining the insides or if there’s a bird’s nest blocking the chimney! Why worry about this when all you have to do is give the expert chimney techs at Chimney Sweep Plus a call and let them do the worrying for you.
Why Bother With Inspection
You may be wondering why it’s even a big deal. Creosote can’t be that big of a thing, right? Unfortunately, that line of thought might lead to a big chimney fire. You see, creosote is made up of the byproducts of smoke : water vapor, benzene, carbon monoxide, acetic acid, formic acid, sulfur dioxide, just to name a few. When the smoke rises and hits the cooler upper chimney area, it condenses and forms creosote, which is highly flammable. Experts agree that anything over an eighth inch is a dangerous amount, and if you use your fireplace very often, this doesn’t take long to build up. This is one of the primary things that your chimney sweep will be looking for.
Another reason that an autumn cleaning is important is because your chimney is an ideal place to build a nest. Bird and other critters, like squirrels and raccoons, like to have a dark small area in which to build a nest. When you add the benefit of being out of the wind and safe from preying animals to the mix, your chimney is the perfect spot. The trouble is, when autumn hits and those creatures are ready to move on, the nest stays behind and can act as a fire starter for any stray spark that shoots up your chimney.
Structural Damage
Another thing that your chimney sweep specialist will be looking for is any structural damage that may have occurred since your last inspection. This could include damage to your chimney cap or crown, crumbling mortar, or interior damage that may have occurred. If there is any damage that has occurred, your inspector may recommend that you have repair work done so that you can enjoy your fireplace knowing that it’s safe.
Call Today
It’s important that you call Chimney Sweep Plus today. They’ll be able to schedule you for an inspection and cleaning before the real fall rush hits, and if there are repairs that need to be finished, you’ll have time to schedule those repairs before those cool autumn days hit. You’ll be able to cheer on your favorite team knowing you can cozy in after the game in front of your clean, safe fireplace!
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