Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Don’t Let Santa Go Down A Dirty Chimney!

Listen … Can you hear it? Can you hear the jingling of sleigh bells and the tap, tap, tap of tiny reindeer feet? Everybody is looking forward to seeing that jolly old man pull up in his shining sleigh. His sleek looking reindeer ringing their sparkling sleigh bells. Plus, Mrs. Claus has her hubby looking his holiday best in his bright red suit. One thing is sure. You don’t want your chimney to be the one to leave nasty soot stains on Santa’s pretty outfit!

Why Does My Chimney Need Cleaning?

You spend time cleaning, baking ,and making sure that everything is just right. This is especially true for your family and friends. Everything needs to be just right before they arrive. This is so that you can have a relaxing time, reminiscing and making new memories. In all the fuss and hurry, you might be tempted to forego cleaning something that no one will ever really see – the inside of your chimney. But skipping this can be a costly mistake!

One reason it is so important to have your chimney cleaned? Fire burning is a dirty business! According to the GuideOne Insurance website: When the water vapor, unburned wood particles, tar fog, and other minerals that are released while a fire is burning make their way up your chimney, it causes a build-up of gunk that is called creosote. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) website states that, if this creosote build-up equals or exceeds ¼ inch, it needs to be removed by a CSIA certified professional. Cleaning this creosote makes your fire burning more efficient. In addition, it will decrease the risk of a chimney fire, since creosote is highly flammable.

Another good reason to have your chimney cleaned? Make sure it’s clear of any blockages. After all, Santa needs plenty of room to get down your chimney! In the summer and fall, your chimney can accumulate dead leaves and twigs. Also, even bird, squirrel, or other animal nests are not uncommon finds. These blockages can force the air that is supposed to be escaping through your chimney back down into your house. Also, chimney fires can start from sparks catching on any blockages that are left in your chimney.

A Job for the Experts

You may be tempted to do this job yourself. However, this is a job that you should leave for the professionals. To really do the job right, you need special equipment and protective gear. This is to protect you and to keep your house from getting too dirty.

When looking for expert cleaning technicians, make sure that your chimney sweeps are CSIA certified. Santa’s Friend Chimney sweep professionals are CSIA certified and certified by several other chimney safety organizations. This ensures that you will be getting top rated technicians trained in the latest chimney inspecting and cleaning techniques.

Don’t let old Kris Kringle down by making him slide down a dirty chimney. Give Santa’s Friend Chimney Service a call today and know that your chimney will be ready for all your fireplace needs!

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.

Make Your Masonry Repairs Before Winter

A brick chimney looks like a stalwart sentry watching over the horizon at the top of your house. It takes the brunt of all elements – baking sun, battering rain and wind, fluctuating temperatures, snow, and ice. A chimney gets no cover and no respite from the weather. Even though it remains standing and continues to do its job, it slowly breaks down and needs repair. Mississippi was hit hard this year with storms. So, to ward off any potential problems, get your chimney masonry checked out and repaired before the winter begins.

Mississippi Weather

Central Mississippi entertains a variety of weather patterns and brick chimney masonry. This masonry, which is made of sand, takes a beating that causes it to breakdown. This Process is called spalling. Weather is the worst enemy of this type of masonry. Beach lovers know that high tides and big storms wash away beaches and that is essentially what is happening to your chimney. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) warns that a neglected chimney can also be a safety hazard.

What Masonry Damage Looks Like

Spalling can look like several types of damage. It may be as dramatic as actual breakage or plain as cracks. There might also be flaking. These are all warning signs that your chimney is weakening. The expansion and contraction from temperature fluctuations serve to put stress on the structure. And according to CSIA, water penetration is its greatest enemy. Moisture will rust the metal portions of chimney and chip away at all the other components that make up brick masonry. Eventually, seepage will cause mildew and fungus, as well as odor that will infiltrate your home.

Types of Repairs

Repairing leaking chimneys, waterproofing, and relining are so ordinary in this area that if you haven’t needed maintenance done to your masonry, you are rare. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service technicians are specially trained and certified to rehabilitate your chimney so that it is safe and in working order. We will assess the damage and then sit down with you to discuss the best options. It may be a matter of repointing or rebuilding. Once the repairs are complete, you may want to consider waterproofing the chimney to avoid problems of moisture. The process creates a barrier between the masonry and the elements.

Don’t wait! You don’t want to learn during the winter that your masonry needs repairs. That means that in addition to the structural damage, you are uncomfortable as you try to stay warm and dry. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service while the weather is still mild and let us help get you ready for winter.

The Advantages Of Wood Burning Inserts

A fireplace is often the showpiece of a home. What could make a room look better and more welcoming than an open hearth with a fire burning warmly? It’s hard to believe, but there is something more. And not only does it make your fireplace look better, it’s safer and more energy efficient. If you don’t already have a wood burning insert, it’s time to consider the benefits of one of these inserts.

Looks, Efficiency, And Safety:

You only have to look at pictures to imagine the polish a wood insert will give your fireplace and the whole room. It also eliminates the messy appearance from ashes. No changes to the fireplace masonry or the chimney system are needed. The insert is an enclosure, often made from cast iron or steel that is fitted into the firebox. The EPA  encourages wood burning inserts, partly because of their efficiency.

Whether you use your fireplace as a primary or secondary heat source, warm air will no longer be escaping to the outside. Rather, the insert will help to draw air in to keep you cozy warm. And we will offer guidance on choosing one that is certified by the EPA for maximum energy efficiency. Another important aspect is safety. You no longer need to worry about embers and sparks coming from your fireplace because an insert will contain it all.

Size, Style, And Installation:

Wood inserts make your fireplace look so good that the options may be overwhelming. The professionals at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service help to make it easy. Having the right size guarantees efficiency. Your trained consultant will take the proper measurements. Then they will sit down with you and go over the styles that are available, and discuss other options such as whether to invest in a mesh screen or blower.

Whether you have a small, medium, or large fireplace or a classic or modern home, we can help you find the right style of EPA-approved insert. When it’s time for installation, we do the job expertly. Our customers appreciate the assistance we give them in making the best decisions for their fireplace and chimney needs, and they have shown that through our repeated honor as an Angie’s List Super Service award recipient.

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service has been around for more than 20 years and we are trained and ready to assist you. Don’t wait another day. Contact us and let’s get together to talk about how to add more style to your home while also making it safer and more energy efficient.

Why Chimney Flashing is so important

Every movie has its unsung heroes: those, who without them, the show would be incomplete. Yet few know about them. They aren’t glamorous or showy and are often unseen. Your home has these same behind-the-scenes essentials, and chimney flashing is one of them. It doesn’t sport the stature of the majestic chimney or the glamour of a fireplace, but flashing is a key component that keeps both of these stars looking good.

Flashing: The unsung hero

The main job of flashing is to provide a waterproofing seal. When leaks occur in your home, the most common concern is that it’s a roof problem, but very often loose or missing flashing is the reason for a leak. Fortunately, it’s a very easy problem to solve. Flashing can become loose for a number of reasons. It could be the natural settling of your home or a breakdown in masonry around the flashing. Perhaps the roofing wasn’t installed well. Animals roosting on the roof may eventually disturb the flashing. It could also be that chimney flashing wasn’t fitted properly or completely. If the flashing is loose or missing and it isn’t addressed in a timely way, water will eventually make its way into your chimney. Frequent moisture infiltration aids in the breakdown of masonry.

A Simple Fix

So you see, the role of flashing is crucial in supporting your chimney. Chimney flashing should be installed in two parts, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors: the base flashing is installed on the roof around the chimney and the cap or counter flashing overlaps the base on the side of the chimney. The joints are caulked. This system seals out rain, snow, and other elements. If you notice water marks on your ceiling near your chimney, if you see or hear a flapping around the chimney, it could very well be you need to have the flashing repaired.

At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we’ll get up on the roof and look around and repair or replace the flashing so you don’t have unwanted moisture causing damage to your home. We will tell you what is really going on. We state in our Standards of Ethics and Business Practices that we won’t “manufacture problems”. Our customers know they can trust us, as shown by our 2011 and 2014 Angie’s List Super Service Awards. Our membership in the Chimney Safety Institute of America, as well as the National Chimney Sweep Guild, demonstrates our commitment to industry integrity and education. Contact us today by the online form or call 601-854-7563.