Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

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:

Never Too Late To Have Your Chimney Swept Before Winter - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney Services

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.

By Jim Robinson on November 3rd, 2016 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

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.

CREOSOTEStinky Chimney - Jackson MS - Santas Friend Chimney Service

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.

By Jim Robinson on May 24th, 2016 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment

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

Lengthening Your Chimney’s Life

If you take proper care of your chimney, it will last you more years than you expected. Adhere to the guidelines.

If you take proper care of your chimney, it will last you more years than you expected. Adhere to the guidelines.

There is an estimated average life expectancy for chimneys. We’d like to think that once we have ours installed and fully functional, then it would last until we become grandparents. But it doesn’t really work that way. The lifetime of each chimney depends on the various materials used. For instance, the mortar that’s used for the walls of the chimney has an estimated life expectancy of about 25 years while the plasters and paint used for waterproofing only lasts 3 to 5 years.

So, we at Santa’s Friend Chimney have decided to put together a short guideline to help you and every other homeowner out there looking to prolong the lifetime of their chimneys.

Chimney Inspection

First things first, it is important to have your chimney inspected. Having regular scheduled inspections allows you to be well-informed and updated as to the standing and status of your chimney. If it is important for us to have our regular trip to the doctor, then it is equally important for you to have your chimney inspected.

Chimney Sweeping

Next, you need to have your chimney regularly swept. As we all are well aware, the chimney is prone to a lot of external contaminations. These contaminations (such as leaves, animal droppings and rainfall) if left unattended would accumulate and could lead to a lot of damage.

Waterproofing

Another thing of utmost importance is for us to waterproof our chimneys. Water is one of the deadliest elements and is one of the biggest threats to your chimney’s life. Once water gets inside of your chimney, it then dampens the area and creates an environment that is highly optimal for mold growth. And we all know what happens once molds start to grow. It means hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs or replacements. So in order to avoid this huge mess from happening, it is best to waterproof your chimneys. Consider installing a chimney cap.

Chimney Repairs and Restorations

Lastly, it is important not to skip out on necessary repairs and restorations. Every little repair, replacement or restoration that is advised after your inspection is important and should be done as soon as possible. Prolonging repairs could lead to further damage and bigger expenses. And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?

It’s true that our chimneys have their own expiration dates. But if we follow these simple guidelines, then we can rest assured we are doing all we can to extend both performance and functionality of our chimney.

What’s Blocking Your Chimney?

A clogged up chimney flue can mean big trouble. Make sure there's nothing blocking your chimney by having it swept.

A clogged up chimney flue can mean big trouble. Make sure there’s nothing blocking your chimney by having it swept.

A fireplace can be a wonderful addition to any room in the house where the family might gather, providing warmth, light, and a cozy ambiance. However, a fireplace system has to be carefully maintained to make sure that they common problems that affect chimneys don’t impact the safety and beauty of your family’s favorite gathering spot. We as homeowners owe it to ourselves to remain constantly vigilant as far as the condition of any part of our homes are concerned. Like every appliance or piece of furniture we own, a chimney requires just as much attention; one could even argue that it requires more attention.

The Dangers of Creosote Buildup

So what exactly is creosote, and why is it dangerous to allow it to accumulate inside your chimney? Creosote is a sticky chemical residue that forms when wood is burned at low temperatures and is capable of building up to dangerous levels within your chimney. More creosote is formed from burning unseasoned softwoods in your fireplace than properly seasoned hardwoods. The residue begins as unburned oil in the form of gas; as it moves up the chimney, the oils build up into a coating inside the chimney as they begin to cool. This buildup is extremely flammable!

The residue can become quite thick over the course of a single season. Depending on the internal dimensions of your chimney, this can really restrict the flow of air, which can cause smoke to build up in the fireplace as well as in your home. This reduced airflow can also cause cooler burning fires because they’re not able to get the requisite amount of oxygen for increased combustion; all of this results in, you guessed it, more creosote buildup in your chimney. It becomes dangerous when it is allowed to accumulate in your chimney, as it becomes a fuel source for a possible chimney fire. The build up of creosote cannot be avoided completely, however, burning small, hot fires and using dry, seasoned wood can minimize the buildup.

There’s a What Living in my Chimney!?

If you are hearing noises in your chimney it may be one of two situations: a wild animal (such as a raccoon) is using your chimney as a den; or an animal (such as a squirrel or a bird) has fallen down the chimney and cannot get back up. Under absolutely no circumstances should you try to smoke an animal out of your chimney – you will only succeed in burning and/or killing the animal! Wild animals frequently mistake uncapped chimneys for hollow trees, and they have no idea that the “tree” is connected to your home! In contrast to hollow trees, however, the inside of a chimney is quite slippery, and raccoons seem to be the only animals capable of climbing up and down it.

One way to tell the difference between a denning animal (raccoon) and an animal that’s stuck (squirrel or bird) is by listening to the noise that the animal makes. An animal that is stuck is often frantic, and will scratch at the damper or flap its wings repeatedly in an effort to get out. If the damper is not closed, the animal may fall down into the fireplace, and even if he is able to get back up above the damper or onto the smoke shelf, it is important to recognize that this animal is unable to climb the entire length of the chimney. On the other hand, if the animal is using the chimney as a den site you may occasionally hear movement, as well as the sounds of wild animal babies calling out to their mother. The noises follow a more predictable pattern, and often occur only a certain times of the day.

While the firebox of your beloved fireplace can be easily seen and therefore monitored, the chimney itself commonly faces a number of troubles that are often caught only by a chimney professional during the annual chimney system inspection and sweeping. These things will help to ensure the safety and continued functionality of your fireplace and chimney for many years to come. You can always come to Santa’s Friend Chimney Service with any of your questions or needs. Our staff is always here to help.