Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Keep Out Unwanted Holiday Guests with a Bird Screen

It’s Christmas time and you’ve got everything ready for all those holiday parties and family get-togethers. You’ve cleaned and baked, cooked and decorated, shopped for presents, wrapped them up, and put them under the tree. Everything is just perfect. You’ve invited your family and friends and can’t wait to see them all together again at such a happy time of year. What do you do when an uninvited guest shows up? You invite them in and let them help themselves to the food and fellowship! However, you want to avoid uninvited furry and feathery guests. Unfortunately, sometimes these guests can get in through an uncovered chimney. On the bright side, this is an easy fix, and one that Santa’s Friend Chimney Service will be able to take care of in a jiffy!

How Do These Critters Get In?

So why would a bird venture down your chimney anyway? Birds go into chimneys looking for food or a warm place to nest and stay out of the elements. Once they get in, they may get confused or dazed, and that makes it difficult for them to get back out. The same might be true of a squirrel or other small animals or even bats. And when up means heading towards the cold and down seems warm and inviting, you might just find yourself with an unwelcome visitor in the middle of your family dinner or friends’ Christmas party!

If this happens, you will need to take some care of getting this guest out. Your best bet would be to call the animal control number in your neighborhood and let them handle it. This will ensure that your home stays intact and that the creature is unharmed.

Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen Again

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service provides a simple solution to unexpected critters. A bird screen is a frame that’s been fitted with a wire mesh that fits over your chimney and keeps birds and other unwanted visitors out. This also keeps good ventilation happening. Professionals should put the proper bird screen on top of your chimney because certain kinds can actually clog quite easily. Clogs cause poor ventilation and even contribute to creosote buildup.

All of us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service want you and your loved ones to have a relaxed and happy holiday season, one that isn’t filled with the excitement of an unexpected critter running through your party. Give yourself an early present and call us today so we can fit your chimney with a bird screen!

Be Santa’s Friend With A Clean Chimney

Can’t wait to hear the jingling sleigh bells and little tapping feet on your rooftop? It won’t be long now until that jolly old elf, Mr. Claus himself, will be making a trip down your chimney. But there’s nothing that makes Mrs. Claus quite so unhappy as having to spend time after the holidays cleaning soot stains off Santa’s red suit! Here’s how you can help make Santa’s and Mrs. Claus’ lives a little easier when it’s time to relax after the busy holiday season – make sure that your chimney is safe and clean by having it swept and inspected now, before it’s time for Santa to make his visit.

What’s Making it Dirty?

So, why is your chimney getting so dirty anyway? It’s the smoke that’s causing all the problems! What kind of firewood you burn can make a difference in how much smoke is being produced. When you burn a hot fire using hardwoods, your chimney will get less dirty because less smoke will be produced. Hardwoods, such as oak, maple, ash, or beech work best, but it’s also important that the wood you burn be well seasoned. This means drying it for at least six months to a year in order to make sure that the moisture content of the wood is very low. This will cause less moisture in the smoke, which means less creosote buildup, and that means Santa’s suit stays cleaner!

Creosote Build Up

An even bigger worry with creosote buildup, however, is the worry of a dangerous chimney fire. Even when you use the right kind of wood, you’ll still get some creosote buildup. Creosote is the thick, gummy deposit that condenses onto the interior of your chimney when smoke floats up. This is extremely flammable, and a buildup of even as much as an eighth of an inch is enough to catch a spark and cause a serious chimney fire. You’ll want to make sure to hire the CSIA certified technicians from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to make sure that every bit of creosote is cleared away.

Obstructions

Another thing that could cause some problems for Santa is obstructions in the chimney. Over the course of the summer, birds and other animals could have made their home in your chimney to avoid the weather and predators. Trouble is, when they leave their home, they leave the nest behind. This won’t just make it tougher for Santa to fit through that already narrow space, it could also be a catalyst for a chimney fire! All it takes is one spark touching that dry tinder and you could have a fire burning in your chimney. That could cause chimney damage at best and a fire disaster at the very worst! Santa’s Friend will clear those obstructions out lickety-split!

Avoid Problems by Having Your Chimney Cleaned

All it takes is one phone call to make sure that Santa’s trip down your chimney is safe and clean. Call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to set up your chimney cleaning today and enjoy a safe and beautiful holiday season!