The Importance of Annual Chimney Sweeping
As you know all too well, we’re currently deep into the summer season. That’s one reason why we wanted to share with you some fireplace and chimney tips that are applicable today as well as in the future. What are we talking about exactly? That’s easy: the importance of cleaning your chimney after winter.
Consider this: many homeowners stopped using their fireplaces as soon as the temperatures warmed up. That means by now many Advanced Chimney Sweep customers haven’t used their system for at least a couple of months. Ideally, you’ll want to clean your chimney shortly after you’ve stopped using the system. This serves three important purposes.
It identifies problems
When you clean your chimney after winter or schedule a professional sweep and inspection, it puts your fireplace front and center. If there are broken clay tiles, you’ll find them when you remove ash from the firebox. If your damper won’t close, you’ll discover this during the cleaning process.
When our team visits your home, we’ll also run a full, detailed inspection of the deep recesses of your chimney. Using our equipment, we’ll be able to let you know quickly if your chimney needs any type of repairs before you start using it again this fall.
It gives you more usable space
Many homeowners like to repurpose their fireplaces during the summer. They’ll use it as a decorative element or a practical one, such as a makeshift temporary bookcase.
However, you can’t do any of that without first cleaning your fireplace. Naturally, no one wants to put their decorations in a pile of soot. In addition, you shouldn’t put decorative items in the firebox until our team completes any necessary repairs.
It prepares you for fall
Finally, you should not use your fireplace until we can verify that your system is safe for use. There may be excessive creosote buildup within your flue or major structural problems that need to be repaired. Cleaning your chimney after winter prepares you for usage in the fall.
Things you can do on your own
There are a few cleaning steps you can do on your own. It’s easy to scoop out ash from your firebox. You can also easily clean your glass doors and scrub the walls of your firebox.
Professional assistance
The are a few other processes, however, that will need professional assistance. Those include:
- Safely removing creosote
- Repair damage, such as a rusted damper
- Replacing missing components, such as your cap
- Performing masonry repairs
Have you had your annual sweep and inspection yet? If not, contact us ASAP!
As we mentioned earlier, the importance of cleaning your chimney after winter applies whether you call us at the start of each summer season or today. Simply put, you don’t want to forgo this until the fall nor do you want to use your chimney once the temperature drops without a proper cleaning and inspection.
Do you need to schedule an appointment? Then call the team at Advanced Chimney Sweep at (706) 833-4630 (GA) or (803) 508-3990 (SC); you can also get in touch with our techs via our contact form.
