Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

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.

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.

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.

Is Your Chimney Up to Code?

An older home can have lots of character, but it can also require more maintenance to be sure all of its systems are up to current building and safety codes. These standards are constantly updated, and making sure everything is working as it should is part of the responsibilities of being a homeowner. If you are considering buying an older house with a fireplace, the chimney should be inspected to ensure it meets codes. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we have the experience and training that is needed to see if chimneys and fireplaces are up to code, and we can easily make repairs that will bring the chimney and venting system up to current building and safety standards. The most common problem we find with older chimneys is that they are not lined. We would like to tell you more about chimney liners and why they are necessary for an efficient and safe chimney.

Why does my chimney need to be lined?

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), most local fire codes mandate that every chimney be lined for safety reasons. Chimney liners serve three very important purposes. They protect your home from the extremely high temperatures that are produced during combustion. Without a liner, the wooden parts of a house could catch fire. They also protect the bricks and mortar of your chimney from the corrosive byproducts of combustion. The toxic combustion gases can eat away at these masonry materials if no liner is present to shield them. Even more importantly, the liner keeps carbon monoxide from being able to leak into your home. The third function of a chimney liner is to provide a properly sized flue for your heating appliance. If you install a new fireplace insert, the chimney will most likely be too large for the insert, and this can cause draft problems. To be sure your heating appliance works efficiently and safely, you need a chimney liner that matches the size of the appliance.

What kinds of chimney liners are there?

At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we can install a new stainless steel chimney liner that will work with any type of heating appliance. Our CSIA-certified chimney technicians will take precise measurements of your heating appliance to ensure the new liner matches it exactly. If you have a masonry chimney with a wood-burning fireplace, we can also line your chimney with HeatShield, which is similar to the clay tile liners of the past. You can trust us to install a liner that will work with the fuel type of your heating appliance. We will be sure your chimney will function efficiently and safely as well as be up to code.

Unlined chimneys is just one of the issues we find when inspecting older chimneys. Other things such as chimney height and exterior masonry damage can also cause problems with chimneys meeting current building and fire codes. If you are looking at older homes, contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service at 601-854-7563 to make an appointment for a chimney inspection.

Fireplace Safety Tips for the Holidays

Your fireplace is your focal point for entertaining and decorating during the holidays, but it is important to keep in mind a few safety suggestions and tips during this busy time. The holidays are about celebrations, loved ones, and joy, and the last thing you would want to experience during this season is a house fire. As reported by HouseLogic, residental fires increase by more than double during the holidays. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) cited over twice the amount of open-flame fires on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The amount of damage from these holiday fires are even more alarming as the number of deaths per 1,000 house fires increases by 70 percent, and the amount of property loss is 34 percent higher than from fires on any other day of the year. As you can tell from our name, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service loves the holidays, and we want everyone to be as safe as possible and enjoy spending time with friends and family by the fireplace. Remembering the following safety tips will help you reduce the risk of a devastating residential fire this holiday season.

ONLY BURN FIREWOOD IN YOUR FIREPLACE OR STOVE

After unwrapping gifts, some people have been known to throw the scraps of wrapping paper into the fireplace or stove to burn. Unfortunately, these people found out that burning holiday paper in this manner is not very safe. The dyes used on wrapping paper can cause the fire to spark and produce flash fires. These types of fires can quickly spread into your home, especially if you have combustible items like decorations around your hearth for the holidays. Additionally, you should never burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace or stove. This can also become hazardous very quickly. The safest thing to burn in your fireplace and stove is seasoned firewood and nothing else.

KEEP YOUR HEARTH AREA CLEAR OF DECORATIONS AND GIFTS

Even if you are only burning seasoned wood, hot sparks and embers can jump from the fireplace and easily ignite a residential fire if any combustible items are nearby. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service understands how important the hearth area can be when it comes to holiday decorations, but you should never hang decorations made from combustible or flammable materials around the fireplace. You should also take care to keep your Christmas tree away from the fireplace or stove. Even though the image of the tree right beside the fireplace is a very cozy holiday picture, the majority of holiday fires involve Christmas trees. No matter if your tree is real or artificial, it can be very dangerous to place it too close to your fireplace or stove.

WATCH OUT FOR KIDS AND PETS

If you are entertaining friends and family with small children during the holidays, you want to ensure that there is always adult supervision in the room with the fireplace or stove. Never leave children alone in the same room as a burning fire. This also goes for pets. Even if you have fireplace doors and a protective screen, you can never be too careful when it comes to fire safety and children and animals. Accidents can happen quickly, so even when you are in the room with kids and animals, keep an eye on them to be sure they are not playing too close to the fire.

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service wishes you all a safe and happy holiday season. Contact us at 800-390-9939, if you have any chimney or fireplace needs to be able to safely enjoy your fireplace over the holidays.

Proper Chimney Waterproofing

Is your chimney ready to stand up to winter weather? One of the most common types of chimney damage, spalling occurs when the temperature drops below freezing. Water that has leaked into the bricks and mortar of your chimney will freeze and expand, and when the temperature warms up, the water thaws and causes the masonry materials to crack and break apart. Have you ever noticed how potholes always appear on the roads after an ice storm? That type of damage is also spalling damage, and if you have seen how large some potholes can be, you have an idea of how badly it can deteriorate the exterior of your chimney. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we offer several ways to protect your chimney from water penetration damage. One way we can help to keep your chimney in one piece is waterproofing. We would like to tell you more about how water can damage your chimney as well as how waterproofing can prevent water from leaking into the bricks and mortar of your chimney.

Besides spalling, how else can water penetration damage my chimney?

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has famously said that water is the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys because of the amount of damage it can do when it leaks into chimneys. Spalling damage is most likely the most devastating type of water penetration damage because if left unrepaired, your chimney could possibly collapse! However, water leaks can do even more damage. The metal components of your chimney like the damper can deteriorate from rust corrosion and break. Any wood surrounding your chimney can rot. Your ceilings and walls can become stained and distorted from water leaking through the chimney. Preventing water penetration is crucial to protecting your chimney from damage and deterioration.

Are there other benefits to having my chimney waterproofed?

Although keeping your masonry chimney safe from water damage is well worth the cost of waterproofing, you will see other advantages from this service. An environmentally friendly formula that is 100% vapor permeable, the waterproofing agent we use is manufactured by Chimney Saver and comes with a 10-year warranty with our professional application. Waterproofing your chimney will also make it more resistant against mildew and fungus.

What can I expect from a waterproofing treatment from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service?

When our CSIA-certified chimney professionals arrive at your home, they will begin by seeing which type of waterproofing formula will work best for your chimney. After scrubbing and cleaning your bricks and mortar, your chimney will get a coating of the waterproofing formula to create a barrier that will protect your bricks and mortar from becoming deteriorated by spalling and other water penetration damage.

Don’t hesitate to protect your masonry chimney this winter. Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for a waterproofing service before the temperature drops below freezing.

A Stinky Chimney Problem

No more holding your breath at home due to your smelly chimney. Just call us and we’ll have your chimney cleaned in no time.

When your friends enter your home, you want them to smell something good. Let’s face it; chimney odors do not fall into this category. This is one reason why it is important to keep your chimney maintenance up to date. If you are experiencing problems like this or have any other chimney related questions, call the experts at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today.

Why does my chimney stink anyway?

The main reason your chimney will stink is because of creosote. When wood is burned in the fire, these byproducts come up and begin to clump together on the inside of your chimney. This will not only cause drafts problems, but if left long enough they will begin to soak into the structure of your chimney and become harder to remove. As weather become warmer and more humid, the smell will become stronger. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended that you have an extra sweep in addition to your annual sweep and inspection. One should be done after burning season to remove anything that built up over the winter months, but the second should be done after summer to remove anything natural that may have made its way into your chimney.

Mold is another reason that a chimney or any other part of your home will smell. Chimney mold is built when there is a crack in the structure or a piece of the chimney is not in working order. Your Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified professional will be able to spot these things during your inspection. Mold can grow in as little as one to two days, so if you see a leak or something suspicious, call for help. One way to reduce water troubles is by having the technicians put a waterproof sealant on the outside of the chimney. This is especially recommended if you live in a wet area.

How do you properly prepare for a sweep?

Here is a simple checklist to make sure your home is ready for its examination:

• Do not burn a fire for more than 24 hours before your sweep.
• Move valuables’ and furniture away from the fireplace.
• Lock pets away in a spare room for safety