Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Fix Up Your Chimney Before the Temperature Drops

You love your fireplace! It brings hours of comfort and happiness in the cooler winter weather. So, when you discover that your chimney is leaking, it is a cause for alarm. There are several reasons that leaks can occur. Also, it’s much easier to get these leaks fixed before it gets cold, rather than waiting until you’re wanting to use your fireplace. The first step to take when your chimney is leaking? Call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. Their expert staff will inspect your fireplace and determine any problems, before the temperature drops.

The Problem Could Be Water

According to Chimney Safety Institute of America, weathering that occurs from exposure to outdoor elements, such as rain or sleet, can cause major problems for your brick or block masonry chimneys. And if you have a stone chimney, you’re not out of the woods! Stone chimneys take a lot of mortar to hold together, and that mortar is affected by precipitation.
Precipitation can eat away at the mortar, but a bigger culprit is the freeze/thaw cycle. During the freeze/thaw cycle, water seeps into the mortar between the bricks or stones, then freezes. Freezing water expands, which causes cracks to occur. This cycle continues throughout the cold, rainy season.

Cracked flashing can also cause leaks to occur. The flashing is the sheet metal that keeps the intersection between the chimney and the roof tight. This intersection is a likely place for leaks to occur. According to the This Old House website, the flashing leaks because it wasn’t properly installed in the first place. But even properly installed flashing wears down over time, and this can cause leaks to occur. The simplest solution to leaks caused by flashing issues? Stop them before they start. Have your chimney inspected on a regular basis by the experts at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service.

The Problems Water Causes

When the mortar between the bricks or stones breaks down, not only can the exterior of your chimney be damaged, but the interior can be damaged as well. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America website, when your chimney leaks, several things can be damaged. This includes a deteriorating central heating system, stained chimney exterior, rusted damper assembly, and stained ceiling and walls. Consequently, these are just a few of the problems that might occur.

A Fix is on the Way

All of these problems are fixable. One way to make sure that those leaks are fixed is by waterproofing your chimney. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers waterproofing products that take care of the leaks, while allowing vapors formed from your fire to escape.

Probably the simplest solution for a leaky chimney? The addition of, or repair, to a chimney cap. This is an important part to the make-up of your chimney, because it can keep precipitation from getting in your chimney. Plus, many homes just flat out don’t have a chimney cap. A simple inspection can determine if a chimney cap is absent or in disrepair, and after that, it’s a quick fix.

Trust the experts at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to take care of your leaky chimney, or any other service your chimney needs! Call 601-854-7563.

Never Too Late To Have Your Chimney Swept Before Winter

Before winter hits, precipitation and wind can leave a chill in the air, even here in Central Mississippi. You may have already caught the scent of wood burning from a distant neighbor’s fireplace. All the sudden, the smell reminded you to order some wood. You haven’t had the chimney swept in a while. Is it too late in the season for an appointment? The truth is that it is never too late to have your chimney swept before winter.

All we ask:

We only ask for 24 hours. However, we don’t need 24 hours to do the work. All we ask that you refrain from using the fireplace for 24 hours to give the whole system time to cool down. You can also help us out a lot as well. For instance, giving us at least 6 feet of clearance around your fireplace so we can place tarps on the floor. This will keep your home clean. We love pets, but oftentimes pets don’t love us, or the noise of our vacuums. So, for their well-being, we ask that you crate your pets or put them in another room while we work.

What we’ll do:

Believe it or not, in this dirty job of chimney sweeping, we will keep your home clean. That’s right! The designation of a CSIA-trained and certified chimney sweep means that we know how to do our work efficiently and without a mess for you to clean after we are gone. Drop cloths are placed in the work area and the powerful vacuum we use contain the grime and debris. So, when we leave, the only reminder of our visit is a gleaming chimney!

Plus…

We won’t take up your whole day either, unless there have been heating systems changes or there are major problems with the chimney. For example, a chimney that requires a Level 2 or 3 inspection. Otherwise, the job shouldn’t take more than 1 ½ hours with a Level 1 inspection. In that time, your system will be scrubbed from the fire grate to the top of the stack both with special brushes and by hand. We’ll make any needed adjustments to the damper. We check for fire hazards, and also perform a visual exterior check of the masonry. We share with you our findings and leave you with a written evaluation, so you know the condition of your chimney and fireplace.

Now that you know what we need to do the job, you can rest assured that it’s never too late to have your chimney swept before winter. Contact us today at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service for an appointment and look forward to those cozy days and evenings in front of your fireplace.