Santa's Friend Chimney Service

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!

By Jim Robinson on March 21st, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

The Importance of Waterproofing

The Effect of Water

Fire and water – two elements that don’t mix very well. And that holds true when you’re thinking about your fireplace. There are important rules to follow when caring for your fireplace. Yet, many people fail to realize the damage that can result from precipitation.

How Moisture Damage Occurs

Rain – such a welcome occurrence. It makes the earth green, fills the creeks, lightens the air. But it can wreak havoc on your chimney system. Chimneys are normally made up of stones, bricks, or blocks, held together by mortar. Although stones are pretty water resistant, bricks, blocks, and mortar are not. When rain or sleet occurs, water enters these components of your chimney and can cause major structural damage over time. It’s important to have your chimney inspected on an annual basis by qualified, CSIA certified inspectors like the ones you’ll find at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service.

Waterproofing

It’s important to understand that water damage can exist and what are signs of this happening. If spalling occurs,flaking, peeling, or cracking around or on your chimney, it’s a good indication that water damage has occurred according to Chimneys.com. If mortar is crumbly and soft, it means that water has penetrated this area, also, and that you could be in for major repairs.

These exterior clues are usually easily visible to a homeowner, but unfortunately, damage can also be occurring in less visible places. The chimney interior, which is invisible to your eye, is susceptible to moisture damage. To understand how much damage has occurred, give Santa’s Friend Chimney Service a call. They can thoroughly inspect your chimney, inside and out, make any necessary repairs, and then waterproof your chimney to help prevent further damage.

The Process

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) explains that waterproofing your chimney is an important means of defense to help stop water damage from occurring. It’s important that the chimney service you pick uses a quality waterproofing agent. The product will keep precipitation from entering your chimney from the outside while allowing water that has penetrated previously to escape. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service uses ChimneySaver Water Repellent. This product is the best in the industry, and Santa’s Friend has been using it for over twenty years with exceptional results.

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service technicians know how to apply your product correctly. The product will ensure that your chimney is protected from water damage for many years. They start by thoroughly brushing and cleaning the components that make up your fireplace. Then technicians carefully apply the weatherproofing product, taking care to cover every inch of your chimney.  You will be able to rest assured that your chimney will be protected from the elements for years to come because of Santa’s Friend’s expert application process. Give Santa’s Friend a call today!

By Jim Robinson on January 12th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Schedule Your Chimney Sweeping Before Fall

The old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun” is certainly true in the summer. School will be starting back before you know it, which means the cooler temperatures of fall are right around the corner. To be sure your fireplace is ready to use on the first cool day of fall, you should schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection in the summer. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and other fire safety organizations recommend to have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected before you light the first fire of the year. If you wait until the fall to schedule this appointment with Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, you may not be able to get this important maintenance task taken care of as quickly as you may wish. Starting in September, our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps are booked solid through December, so it can be difficult arranging an appointment on the date that is the most convenient for you. Scheduling this appointment in the summer makes it easier to get the appointment you want with no waiting. We would like to tell you what you can expect from our professional chimney sweeping services.

Schedule Your Chimney Sweeping Before Fall Image - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney Service

No-Mess Guarantee

When we arrive at your home, we begin the chimney sweeping process by laying down tarps around the hearth to protect the area from soot and dust. We also set up a high-powered dust collector to keep soot and debris out of your home.

Chimney Sweeping

We begin the chimney sweeping task by scrubbing the firebox with hand-held brushes. Then, we work our way up the chimney to clean it from top to bottom with rotating brushes on rods. You can count on Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to take great care to remove all of the accumulated creosote deposits from the inner walls of your chimney. A natural compound that forms during the combustion process of burning wood, creosote is so highly flammable that the CSIA has named it as a leading cause of chimney fires.

Chimney Inspection

After we have cleaned the chimney, we will then inspect the inside and the outside of your chimney. We will be looking for problems like chimney blockages that could lead to toxic gases like carbon monoxide being forced back into your home. We also check for any damage to the bricks, mortar, and chimney crown. If we find any damage, we will note the problem and take pictures to give you a clear idea of the repair work that is needed. We will also provide you with a written evaluation of the condition of your chimney, along with a written estimate of any needed repairs.
Our chimney sweeping service comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee! Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for your annual chimney sweeping today.

By Jim Robinson on July 13th, 2016 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

All About Liners

We recommend an annual chimney inspection for many important reasons. One of the most important is so that we can inspect the quality of your chimney’s liner. The liner protects the exterior wall of your chimney.

All-About-Chimney-Liners-Jackson-Central-MS-Santas-Friend

6 Questions to Ask Your Sweep

If you find yourself in the market for someone to handle all of your chimney maintenance needs, we want you to know that knowledge is power.  Here are some questions you can ask your prospective chimney sweeps to ensure that you’re getting the right people for the job.

We at Santa's Friend Chimney Service can answer all of your questions and provide you with peace of mind.

We at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can answer all of your questions and provide you with peace of mind.

By Jim Robinson on April 28th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Keep the Water Out

Keep A Focus On Keeping Water Out Of Your Chimney

Along with having your chimney inspected every year and making regular chimney sweeping appointments to stay ahead of creosote, taking precautions to fight off encroaching water is one of the most important things you can do to keep your chimney system trouble-free.

Call us today and lets start making sure your chimney is working at its optimal level.

Call us today and lets start making sure your chimney is working at its optimal level.

A healthy amount of the time, when Santa’s Friend Chimney Service is called in with a chimney repair need, water is the culprit behind the damage. That’s partly because water can so easily take advantage of even the smallest chink in your chimney’s armor, slipping into the tiniest crack or gap and then, during cold snaps, expanding as it freezes and making a small problem into a big one. The fact that moisture is almost omnipresent in Central Mississippi doesn’t help either — moisture, over time, can just wear at masonry and metal.

But something to consider, too, is prevention. A lot of times, we don’t think about moisture’s effects on our chimney system until we’re dealing with a leak. But a few key things can help you minimize leaks and moisture damage — or even avoid them altogether.

Make Sure You Have A Properly Sized And Installed Chimney Cap

A chimney cap isn’t just adornment (though it does make a chimney look nicer and more finished). It helps to keep precipitation from coming directly into your flue opening, and slowly wearing away at the flue liner or masonry. If your cap is damaged or missing, Santa’s Friend can install a new chimney cap that’ll bring much-needed protection to your flue.

Consider Chimney Waterproofing

We highly recommend Chimney Saver’s chimney waterproofing sealant. It stops water from penetrating your masonry, but still allows that masonry to expel vapors from its interior, as it was designed to. That protection not only helps you avoid leaks, but adds to your masonry’s longevity too (and in that, minimizes your headaches). Santa’s Friend techs can tell you more about this product, and apply it to your chimney.

Remember When We Mentioned Chimney Inspections?

Keeping up with your annual inspections is key to minimizing chimney leak problems. It’s not uncommon for the parts of your system designed to fend off water — like the chimney crown at the top of your flue or the flashing installed where the chimney and the roofline meet — to develop small imperfections. Your crown may crack under the strain of sun and rain, and the caulking around your flashing can loosen or come off. When you have your chimney inspected regularly, Santa’s Friend can catch those small issues before they get worse, and make the repairs to avoid a serious leak.

If you have any worries about moisture getting into your chimney, call Santa’s Friend. We’re always here to help with information, service, repairs, installations — anything you might need for the care and maintenance of your chimney system.