Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Schedule Your Spring Chimney Inspection and Cleaning

Once the weather starts to turn warmer, thoughts of summer activities start to fill your mind. This might include swimming at the beach, or picnicking at a park, or planning your vacation. Before this happens, however, many people like to get their spring cleaning done. Things like washing the windows, cleaning cupboards, or repainting the interior walls can make the house look refreshed. But there is another thing that you’ll need to do in order to make sure everything is spic and span. Get your chimney inspected and cleaned. There’s no better time to get this done than right away in the spring; you can get it checked off your to do list and get on with the fun times of summer.

Why It’s Important to Get Your Chimney Cleaned

Using your chimney throughout the winter can cause some serious creosote build-up inside your chimney. What is creosote, you might be asking? The GuideOne Insurance website states, “The chimney is the main escape for fire extracts, such as water vapor, unburned wood particles, tar fog and various minerals. These extracts create what is called creosote, a build-up of residue in the chimney.” Although you could wait until fall to get your chimney cleaned, there are perks to getting it done in the spring.  Spring appointments allow you time to get any repairs fixed that your chimney service finds during its inspection.

Another reason that it’s important to get your chimney cleaned is to make sure that your chimney cap is in good shape. There are several functions that your chimney cap performs:

• Reduces moisture: moisture from precipitation can cause damage to stainless steel liners, chimney mortar joints and dampers, and it can also cause mold and mildew. A chimney cap helps protect your chimney’s interior from precipitation.
• Helps stop downdrafts: depending on the direction of the wind, downdrafts can go down your chimney. This can cause outside air to flow down into your house.
• Keeps animals and debris out: animals and birds like to use chimneys to climb down. In some cases, they’ll build their nests there, and you won’t be able to move them until their young are old enough to be out on their own. In other cases, these critters could get stuck in your chimney, and if they die, they will eventually become odorous. If other debris blows down your chimney, it can also cause obstructions that will need to be cleared out before using your fireplace next winter. A well-fitted chimney cap can keep these things out of your chimney.

Check It Off Your List

You’ll want to make sure that the chimney service you use offers professional service. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers complete chimney cleaning services, as well as any repairs or rebuilds that may be necessary. They are CSIA certified and are members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. They have also received the Angie’s List Super Service Award for three years. Call them to set up your spring chimney inspection and cleaning!

Make Sure Your Clothes Get As Dry As They Should!

Way back when, living was a lot tougher than it is now. If you needed to wash clothes, you hauled water and heated it. If you wanted a good meal, you went out to the garden to pick the produce. Afterwards, you cooked it over a fire on a cook stove. Also, you hung your clothes out to dry, whether it was summer and sunny or winter and cold. Now things are easy. We have microwaves and electric ranges, refrigerators and grocery stores.

To get your clothes clean, there are machines to do the work for you.  You simply throw those wet clothes into the dryer for a quick cycle. In not time, you’re pulling those warm, fluffy clothes out, ready to be folded. However, have you noticed that your clothes need to run through two or three cycles before they’re dry? If so, then there might be something wrong with your dryer. Chances are, it probably isn’t something major that’s wrong; chances are, your dryer vents are full of lint. This isn’t only a nuisance, it could be a hazardous situation waiting to explode!

Dangers of Lint Build-up

When you dry your clothes in the dryer, tiny particles from your clothes shake off and collect in different parts of your dryer. Even if you clean your lint screen on a regular basis, some of those particles still escape into the dryer vent. Over time, those particles build up and can cause an obstruction. If the air is really dry, static could cause a spark. If that spark catches in the lint build-up, it could be an instantaneous fire.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, “(I)n 2010, an estimated 16,800 reported U.S. non-confined or confined home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines (including combination washer/dryers) resulted in 51 civilian deaths, 380 civilian injuries, and $236 million in direct property damage.” This is a hazard that is too often overlooked, and yet easily remedied.

Professional Help

Although cleaning your dryer vents may seem like an easy task, you need to ask yourself: is it worth the risk of losing your home and endangering your family to save a few dollars? According to Angie’s List, it is wise to hire a professional to clean your dryer vents at least once a year. If you use your washer and dryer often, then you may want to have it done two or three times a year. Homeowners that use do-it-yourself kits to clean their own vents can be lulled into a sense that their vents are safely clean. Consequently, not realizing that it’s a bigger job than what it seems. That’s why it’s important to call on professionals who know exactly what it takes to get the job done right. And those professionals work for Santa’s Friend Chimney Service!

Get the Job Done Right

The employees at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service know all the places to look where lint likes to build up. They are educated in the proper cleaning techniques, and they have the tools to ensure that your dryer’s venting system is clean and safe. Give them a call today and get your dryer on an annual cleaning schedule!