Does My Chimney Need Maintenance During the Off-Season?
During the warmer months of the year, the last thing you are thinking about is your chimney and fireplace system, but forgetting about this part of your home can lead to problems, including water leaks and unpleasant odors. Winter weather can damage the bricks and mortar joints of your chimney that can lead to water leaks and structural problems if this damage is left unrepaired. All of the soot and creosote that accumulated inside your chimney over the winter can cause stinky smells to invade your home through your fireplace during the summer. To keep your chimney and fireplace in good shape during the off-season, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service recommends that you schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection in the spring. We would like to tell you more about the benefits of taking care of these chimney maintenance tasks during the off-season.
How can a spring chimney sweeping and inspection keep my chimney safe from problems during the off-season?
Your fireplace and chimney work hard over the winter, and Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can check to see if any damage occurred during the colder months of the year. Since your bricks and mortar naturally absorb water, that trapped moisture freezes and expands during the winter. As this water thaws, its force can cause the bricks and mortar to crack and break apart. This kind of damage needs to be repaired as soon as possible because the cracks and gaps left behind allow water to easily enter into the chimney. Our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney sweeps will look for this damage and make recommendations for repairs. Our sweeps will also remove every bit of creosote and soot that has stuck to the wall of your chimney to prevent unpleasant odors coming into your home during the summer. This service also reduces your risk for a chimney fire because as the CSIA says, “dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires.”
What are the other benefits of a spring chimney sweeping and inspection?
The CSIA and other national fire safety organizations all recommend having your chimney professionally swept and inspected every year before you light the first fire. Many homeowners wait until the fall to take care of this chimney maintenance, and this means our sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service have extremely busy schedules in the fall. It can be difficult for you to get the date and time you need to have your chimney serviced, and you might even have to wait for a month to be able to get an open appointment that works for you. Scheduling these chimney maintenance tasks in the off-season allows you to easily make an appointment that fits with your schedule.
Take care of your chimney during the off-season to keep it working smoothly in the fall and winter. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for our professional chimney sweeping and inspection services today.