Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

The Importance of Reviewing Our Services Online

Word of mouth has always been one of the best ways to promote a business, and technology in the 21st century has allowed this promotion method to reach a much wider audience. You may be familiar with online review sites like Angie’s List and Yelp. These sites are not only very helpful when you want to know more about a new local restaurant, but they are also beneficial when you are looking for home maintenance services, such as a chimney sweeping. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is proud to have had a business page on Angie’s List for the past nine years as well as other review pages on Google+, Insider Pages, and MapQuest, and we greatly appreciate the reviews we have gotten from our customers. Of course, we love the positive feedback, but the negative reviews are just as important to us because they help us to do better work in the future to satisfy every customer. We encourage our customers to review our chimney services, and we would like to tell you more about the importance of reviewing our services online.

HELP OTHER CUSTOMERS

When you write a review of our chimney maintenance services online, you are helping other residents of Central Mississippi who may be looking for a trustworthy chimney sweep to clean and inspect their chimneys. Hiring a reputable chimney sweep can be difficult for people who may have recently moved to the area and for people who just bought a house with their first fireplace. Being able to read customers’ experiences with a chimney company can go a long way in helping these people choose the best sweep.

HELP OUR BUSINESS

As we mentioned earlier, word of mouth is a fantastic way of promoting a business. Your online reviews of Santa’s Friend Chimney Service have really spread the word about our honest, fair, and dependable chimney and fireplace maintenance, repair, and installation services. We also have learned a lot from the reviews that may be less than favorable. When we have received negative feedback, we used it as a learning experience on how to better serve our customers.

If you live in Central Mississippi, contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service for any of your chimney and fireplace needs. We are here to serve you, and we would greatly appreciate your feedback of the job we perform for you.

What to Expect from Your Chimney Appointment

If you own a home with a fireplace and chimney, you should know that national fire safety organizations like the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) strongly recommend to have your chimney professionally swept and inspected at least once a year. This annual chimney maintenance service is necessary to ensure your chimney and venting system works efficiently and safely. When the CSIA-certified chimney sweeps from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service visit your home to sweep and inspect your chimney, you can trust us to be sure there are no flue blockages that could lead to hazardous situations, including a carbon monoxide leak. We also take great care to remove every bit of creosote from the inner walls of your chimney because this natural compound is so flammable that the CSIA names it as one of the main causes of chimney fires. To help you know what to expect from your chimney sweeping and inspection appointment from our experts, we would like to tell you a bit more about the process.

CHIMNEY SWEEPING

Your chimney maintenance appointment with Santa’s Friend Chimney Service begins with the chimney sweeping. Our sweeps start this process by covering the floor in front of your hearth to protect it from dust, soot, and other debris. We also set up a high-powered dust collector with a HEPA filter to keep your home clean. The firebox gets cleaned first, and we brush and sweep out the dust and soot from the entire firebox. Then we make our way up to the very top of your chimney by using rods and rotating brushes to clean off all of the soot and creosote deposits. We will also clean and adjust the damper and the assembly.

CHIMNEY INSPECTION

After the chimney has been swept, our CSIA-certified sweeps will then perform a visual inspection of both the interior and exterior of your chimney. We will look for damage to the bricks and mortar joints, and we will make repair recommendations with an estimate if we find problems that could cause your chimney to be unsafe. We will provide you with photos and a written evaluation of the inspection. Our chimney maintenance service comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, and this includes the promise to leave your home as clean as it was when we arrived.

The summer is the perfect time to schedule your annual chimney maintenance services. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to easily schedule an appointment on the date that works the best for you.

Stinky Chimneys

During the summer, the last thing on the minds of many homeowners is their fireplace, but when unpleasant odors start to invade their homes from the chimney through the fireplace, it can become a big concern.
Our staff at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service frequently receives calls from our customers complaining about stinky chimneys, and we have years of experience with dealing with this issue. We would like to tell you more about the sources of these unpleasant smells and what we can do to prevent this stinky situation from happening to your home.

CREOSOTE

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you most likely know that creosote is a natural compound that forms during the combustion process of burning wood. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) often warns the public of the dangers of accumulated creosote inside a chimney because it is the biggest cause of chimney fires. Not only is creosote extremely flammable, but it also releases a strong and acrid odor during the hot and humid months of summer. To prevent creosote from stinking up your home this year, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service recommends scheduling a spring chimney sweeping and inspection.
Our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps will take great care to be sure every bit of creosote has been removed from your chimney to reduce your risk of a fire and of a stinky smell invasion of your house.

WATER

Without a chimney cap on top of your chimney, water from rain can get into your chimney very easily. This water lands on the smoke shelf, where it creates a musty odor. Very often, leaves and other debris also fall into your chimney to mix with the pooled water on the smoke shelf, and this will cause a rotting, decomposing smell inside your chimney. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers a variety of chimney caps, and our chimney experts can professionally install a cap on top of your chimney to protect it from water leaks. This will also keep leaves and other debris from getting into the chimney as well.

BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Another problem that can occur to an uncapped chimney that can cause unpleasant odors is birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals nesting inside your chimney. The droppings and nesting materials of these critters are stinky enough, but there is also the possibility of a bird or animal becoming trapped inside the chimney and dying. You can imagine how horrible a dead animal can smell. The best way to prevent birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals from getting inside your chimney is to have a good quality chimney cap with mesh metal sides installed on top of your chimney. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is happy to show you the options we have to protect your chimney from wild animal invasions.

Keep your home smelling sweet this summer. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule a professional chimney sweeping and inspection.

What Is HeatShield? Do I Need It?

If you have an older masonry chimney, chances are you have a clay tile liner inside the flue. While clay tile liners are durable, they do not last forever. Because they are ceramic, these tiles cannot evenly distribute the heat that occurs when the temperature rises rapidly when a fire is burning. This uneven heating causes the tiles to expand at different rates, and this makes the tiles to crack and break apart. Once the clay tiles begin to deteriorate, the rest of the tiles are at risk of becoming damaged, which can cause your chimney to not work safely. Any cracks, gaps, or voids in a clay tile liner can lead to carbon monoxide leaks as well as residential fires. A couple of decades ago, the cost of replacing clay tiles was exorbitant because of the labor involved as parts of the chimney will need to be rebuilt. Many homeowners had to have stainless steel chimney liners installed to make their chimneys safe again. Fortunately, CeCure Chimney Systems  developed a revolutionary product about 20 years ago called HeatShield as a new way to reline a clay tile liner. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is proud to have chimney technicians who have been trained and certified to use HeatShield when relining chimneys, and we would like to tell you a bit more about this option.

What exactly is HeatShield?

A specially formulated “Cerfractory” sealant, HeatShield can restore your clay tile liner to be able to vent away hazardous and toxic flue gases by eliminating the dangers of cracks, gaps, and voids in the flue. If you have an older masonry chimney with a clay tile liner, you need HeatShield to repair or restore your old liner. An economical way to repair damaged clay tiles, HeatShield does not require any rebuilding of your chimney. If only the mortar joints in your flue have deteriorated, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can use HeatShield’s Joint Repair System to fill in the damaged mortar joints to prevent further damage. If you also have cracked or spalled clay tiles, we can use HeatShield’s Resurfacing System to coat the entire flue and make it safe to use again.

Why should I choose HeatShield?

This product is extremely durable because the formula is a combination of ceramic and refractory materials that withstands moisture, toxic and corrosive gases, and temperatures over 2900 degrees Fahrenheit. HeatShield actually goes above and beyond the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Residential Code (IRC). If you are concerned about how long this type of liner will last, a 20-year warranty is included with your HeatShield services. As we mentioned above, HeatShield is an economical solution to repair and restore a clay tile liner. If you are concerned about the environment, you will be glad to know that this formula is created with recycled and naturally occurring materials to give you a green option for relining your chimney.

If it has been quite some time since your clay tile liner has been in use, you most likely need HeatShield. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to find out more about this chimney relining option.

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.

Leaky Chimneys: How We can Help

The arrival of spring can be a joyous time as it brings blooming flowers and warmer weather, but it can also bring water leaks to your chimney. Winter-related chimney damage can lead to cracks and gaps in the bricks and mortar that allow water to penetrate into your home through the chimney. If you have noticed any loose or missing bricks from your chimney, you will most likely have at least one chimney leak. The longer you leave this damage unrepaired, the more water will get into your chimney to cause even more deterioration. This is why the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has named water as the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys. Fortunately, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service specializes in fixing leaky chimneys. We would like to tell you more about how we can help you deal with your leaky chimney.

How does winter damage my chimney?

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service regularly sees spalling damage occur to chimneys during the winter. Spalling is when the water that has been absorbed into the bricks and mortar of your chimney freezes and expands during cold spells in the winter. As the weather warms back up and this water thaws, the bricks and mortar crack and break apart due to the force of the water trapped inside. Repeated cycles of freezing temperatures lead to more spalling damage throughout the winter. When this damage is left unrepaired, you will have water leaks in your chimney as well as possible structural problems that could lead to the collapse of your chimney.

How can Santa’s Friend Chimney Service help me deal with my leaky chimney?

With over 26 years of experience of working with leaky chimneys, our CSIA-certified chimney technicians know how to find chimney water leaks and repair the damage that is allowing the water to leak into your home. Once we have fixed the leak, we can then help you prevent chimney leaks from occurring in the future. We sell and install a wide variety of top-quality chimney caps to keep water from rain out of the chimney. We will ensure the cap covers the top of your chimney perfectly. Our other chimney leak preventive service is waterproofing your chimney. We will apply a 100% vapor permeable waterproofing formula to the entire length of your chimney to create a barrier against water penetration. This will also keep spalling damage from happening during the winter. This maintenance service is a great investment to prolong the life of your chimney because it comes with a 10-year warranty.

Get your leaky chimney repaired today! Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for a chimney leak inspection to prevent any further damage from occurring to your chimney.