Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

We Repair Old Chimneys

A stately chimney can add to the beauty and grace of an elegant, older home. It brings to mind dinner parties, or quiet family evenings watching the patterns in the flames of a crackling fire. Unfortunately, even these durable old chimneys can suffer from the effect of precipitation and use. Consequently, if not kept in a state of good repair, have the potential to lead to a dangerous situation. Not to mention, being an eyesore on an otherwise beautiful home! Luckily, help is just a phone call away. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service doesn’t just inspect and clean chimneys, they also offer a wide range of chimney repairs and rebuilds.

Repair Work

It’s a well-known fact that you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned on an annual basis. However, has it been a few years since you’ve had an inspection? If so, there are some things that you can see for yourself might indicate repairs are needed:

  • Spalling – as water (in the form of precipitation) hits the bricks that make up your fireplace. Over time, it can enter the bricks and cause the brick to flake or peel, reducing the strength of the bricks and compromising the structure of your chimney.
  • Crumbling Mortar – if you take a look at your chimney, you may notice that the mortar is loose and crumbly. This is another condition that can compromise the integrity of your chimney. Have you noticed lots of loose, crumbly mortar? You may be looking at a procedure called tuckpointing. This is in when your chimney specialist uses special tools to remove the old mortar and replace it with new mortar. It will matche your old mortar, leaving your chimney structurally secure and looking like new.
  • Chimney Fire – believe it or not, you may have had a chimney fire over the course of the winter and not even realized it! When most of us think of a chimney fire, we think of a roaring blaze that could easily overtake the rest of the home; this is not always the case. Most chimney fires don’t have enough fuel or enough air to make them all that noticeable. Nonetheless, damage will occur to the interior of your chimney. Sometimes this damage can only be detected by inspection by a qualified professional. If the damage is left undetected and untreated, you could be in for major, expensive repair work in a few years!

Expert Repair Professionals

Have you kept up with having your chimney inspected and cleaned on an annual basis? If so, chances are any of these problems were caught before they became too worrisome. If you haven’t, then you might be looking at major repairs. You’ll want to get these taken care of as soon as possible, so that you’ll be able to enjoy your fireplace when the cooler days of winter hit. Make sure you call the CSIA certified specialists from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service so that you can use your fireplace safely this winter!

By Justin Perkins on August 22nd, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service – Offering Chimney Relining

You know how important it is to have your chimney system inspected and cleaned once a year. However, did you know how important your chimney liner is? This key part of your chimney is one we don’t often think about. Not only can your chimney liner be in a state of disrepair, but did you know that not every home with a fireplace has a chimney liner? If your home was built before 1940, it could be that your chimney doesn’t have a liner. This is definitely a problem!

Chimney Liners

The Chimney Safety Institute of America tells us that a chimney liner plays a vital role in making sure that your fireplace is running efficiently and safely. There are several reasons why this part of your chimney is so important. First off, a chimney liner protects your home’s interior from the heat of your fire. Unlined chimneys allow heat to move through your chimney very quickly. This can have disastrous results.

Another reason that a liner is so important? Your masonry chimney is susceptible to the corrosive effects of a fire. The gases that are released from your wood burning fire are acidic. This means that they can eat away at the mortar joints of your chimney from the inside. As these joints erode, more dangerous gases can leak back into your home.

Proper Fit

In order for your chimney liner to do the job it’s supposed to, it has to fit properly. Your chimney liner should allow the gases from your fire to escape, but it also allows air in to provide the draft to allow for combustion. If this liner doesn’t fit properly, your fire could produce more creosote build-up in your chimney, and that increases the possibility of a chimney fire.

Reline or Install

As stated earlier, an older home may not have a chimney liner at all. Even if you do have a chimney liner, there are things that can cause it to fall into a state of disrepair. Rain, when it combines with the gases that escape out your chimney, aids in erosion. Consequently, there’s no way to protect your chimney from precipitation. Also, as with any building materials, time takes its toll and your chimney liner can just wear down. Unfortunately, when your chimney liner breaks down, your fireplace doesn’t run as efficiently as it should; worse yet, it could be a fire hazard. Whether your chimney liner is broken or if you don’t have a chimney liner at all, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can help you out.

Make the Call

The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that you have your fireplace system inspected and cleaned on a yearly basis; so does the National Fire Protection Agency. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable service from CSIA certified professionals. Not only can they inspect and clean your chimney, they can also advise you on whether your chimney is in need of a new chimney liner. Give them a call today!

By Jim Robinson on February 8th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment