Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Animals in Your Chimney

Spring is such a great time of year! You can get out of the house and move around without having to worry about warm clothes. Also, the possibility of cold weather stopping your activities is nothing to worry about. However, you’re not the only one that is more active in the springtime. In addition, so are the animals that like to take it easy in the cooler winter months. Spring is the time that many animals start to have their young. That means they are building nests, whether we’re talking about four legged critters or birds. Many creatures are looking to find a warm area that’s protected from the wind and rain to build a nest and raise their young. Guess what? Your chimney really fits the bill! Not only is it warm and protected, it’s also safe from other predators.

Let Them Be or Get Them Out?

If a bird or other animal is making a nest in your chimney, you’ll know it. When you have an animal visitor taking up residence, they’ll make noise. Whether it’s the parents getting ready for their babies to come, or after the babies arrive and make lots of baby animal noises. Usually these noises will only last a couple of weeks. So, if it doesn’t bother you, you can just let nature take its course! What happens once the babies are old enough to be out and on their own? It’s important to call in the pros to remove the nest. This is because the nest will dry out and be a fire hazard come autumn and winter when you start using your fireplace again.

If the noises are bothering you, one thing to keep in mind is that some animals are protected by law during nesting season! So, you’ll just need to wait until they are gone before calling in someone to remove the nests.

Smells

Another reason that you want to have animals removed from your chimney is because of the odor they can cause. The strongest and most offensive odor is, of course, if an animal gets stuck and dies before it can be removed. However, there other causes of odor. This includes the waste and urine that an animal leaves behind when it gets in your chimney. You’ll want to call in a company that can do more than just remove the animal. You need them to clean your chimney to remove the odor causing materials as well.

Accidental Visitors

Sometimes animals find your chimney to get out of the elements and raise their young. Additionally, sometimes animals fall into your chimney and can’t get back out. If that’s the case, you’ll want to make sure that you hire a company to remove those animals in a safe and humane manner. You may be tempted to try to smoke the animal out, but that’s never a good idea. If the animal is really stuck, you may succeed in killing the animal instead of scaring it out!

Call the Right Company

If you suspect you have an animal, living or dead, in your chimney, call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. Let them check out the situation and give advice on the best way to remove the animal. You can trust them to get the job done in a safe and humane way!

By Jim Robinson on May 22nd, 2017 | 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

How to Eliminate Chimney Odors

At the height of winter or summer, many people may begin to notice unpleasant chimney odors coming from their fireplaces. These odors can be caused by a number of different issues and, in addition to being unpleasant, they can be dangerous. If a horrible smell is lurking from your chimney, steps should be taken immediately to address and fix the problem.

Chimney Odor - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney

Many homeowners are inclined to simply light a candle or plug in an air freshener when they notice unpleasant chimney odors. Although this may make things seem better at first, it is a temporary solution to a long term problem. These items may cover up the smell for a time, but they do nothing to actually eliminate it.

The best way to eliminate odors from the chimney is to have it professionally inspected. A trained professional will be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the odor. They will then come up with a solution that will eliminate that particular issue for good rather than simply making it go away for the time being.

Preventative measures can be taken to prevent an odor problem altogether. Annual chimney cleaning should be a priority for anyone who has a fireplace in their home. Instead of waiting until there is an issue, have an annual cleaning at the beginning or end of fireplace season to keep the fireplace and chimney in good condition.

Everyone loves the smell of logs burning in the winter, but make sure that the smells coming from your chimney are normal and safe. Make it a point to maintain your chimney on an annual basis. Instead of simply covering up unpleasant smells with candles and sprays, hire a professional who can take care of the problem for good.

By Jim Robinson on May 27th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment