Tag: chimney sweeps west knoxville tn

Clean Your Chimney Before Santa Arrives

Posted on December 25, 2017 by - Chimney Care

You might not realize this, but cleaning your chimney is an important part of keeping your home safe during winter, not only for Santa’s sake, but also your family’s. During a chimney cleaning, your professional chimney sweep will remove creosote buildup and check to see if there’s any damage inside your chimney.

What Causes Chimney Fires?

There are multiple things that cause chimney fires, but the most common causes of chimney fires tend to include the following:

  • Creosote buildup: Even though you don’t always see the inside of your chimney, it gets dirty like any other part of your home. And unfortunately the only way to prevent creosote from building up in your chimney, is to never use your fireplace. When this layer of buildup in your chimney can cause sparks that can lead to a chimney fire.
  • Rubble: Your chimney is the perfect place for rubble, like leaves, small twigs and other things to accumulate. Birds and small mammals also have a tendency to make nests in chimneys. When you use your fireplace, this rubble can catch fire.
  • Structural problems: In order to channel smoke and harmful gases from your home, your chimney needs to be structurally right. The chimney needs to be build large enough to accommodate the size of your fireplace. Your chimney also needs to be well-maintained. If the inside of your chimney has cracks, or the lining of your chimney is damaged, this could pose an additional risk.
  • Irresponsible fireplace use: It’s recommended that you have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year, but if you aren’t using your fireplace responsibly, even an annual chimney inspections might not be enough. To prevent chimney damage, you should avoid making your fires too hot, as this can cause the inside lining of your chimney walls to crack. Using unseasoned wood or not opening the damper wide enough can also be problematic, as this can cause creosote to build up in your chimney faster, increasing the risk of a chimney fire.

By having annual chimney inspections and learning more about what woods are good to burn in your chimney, as well as how to keep airflow in your chimney at an optimal level, you’ll be able to use your chimney knowing you did everything you could to ensure chimney and fireplace safety.

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Signs Your Chimney Needs Cleaning

It’s good to have your chimney cleaned once a year, so if you can’t remember the last time your chimney was cleaned, call a chimney professional and book a chimney cleaning as soon as possible. To avoid a chimney fire, it’s best to not use your fireplace before your chimney isn’t all cleaned up.

But even if you regularly have your chimney cleaned, creosote can build up at a faster pace if you use your fireplace a lot. A bad odor coming from the fireplace is a pretty clear sign that your chimney needs to be cleaned again. The bad news is that chimney odor can actually be worse in the summer. Even though you probably don’t use your chimney during summer, the high humidity that comes with the warmer months can help bad odors from the creosote buildup in your chimney to travel through the air better. To avoid your chimney from getting smelly over summer, it’s good to have it cleaned right before winter ends.

The Truth About Chimney Fires

You might think that chimney fires always wreak havoc on a home, but the truth is that chimney fires often go undetected. Here’s the scary thing, if you had a chimney fire you didn’t even know about, there’s a pretty good chance your chimney will catch fire again while you use it in the future. Signs that you’ve had a chimney fire that went undetected include things like a damaged and discolored chimney cap, creosote flakes on your roof or the ground, puffy creosote in the chimney and other damages to the chimney itself and surrounding areas of your roof.

If you suspect you might have had a chimney fire, schedule a chimney cleaning and inspection as soon as possible. Don’t use your fireplace before you a chimney professional has had a look at your chimney. While things might get a bit chilly, the comfy heat from your fireplace isn’t worthwhile if you’re using it while your chimney is damaged.

Too many homeowners become complacent when it comes to chimney safety, and unfortunately this complacency has cost many lives in the past. Don’t allow your family to become victims!

Schedule Your Chimney Cleaning

No matter how good or bad the current condition of your chimney, Chimney Sweeps West is here to help. While we’re sure you’d agree that cleaning chimneys isn’t the most glamorous job around, we believe in the work we do because we know the value of chimney safety for fire prevention. Cuddling up in front of a warm fire in the winter should be enjoyable, not stressful. With our chimney care services, it can be.

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Get your chimney cleaned this winter with a Knoxville chimney sweep

Chimney Cleaning Importance: Safety tips for before you spark up the logs this winter

Posted on December 11, 2017 by - Chimney Care

With natural gas and propane costs rising, you’ll likely be looking to the old chimney this winter to help cut your home-warming bills. In any case, before you start up the logs, note that chimneys and chimneys are associated with 42 percent of all home fires. So first ensure yours is up to snuff by following the security tips underneath.

The Importance of Chimney Caps

Posted on November 20, 2017 by - Chimney Care

The Importance of Chimney Caps

Is it safe to say that you are another mortgage holder with an old chimney? Assuming this is the case, you may not see that it’s feeling the loss of a chimney cap. A few property holders in the past didn’t perceive their significance, and frequently they weren’t added to their chimney. Chimney caps are likewise regularly dismissed in light of the fact that they are low support and “out of the picture, therefore irrelevant”.

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The Chimney Cap Keeps Wildlife Out

Amid the an ordinary winter, there are various little creatures that may look for shield in a warm and dry condition like a chimney such as chipmunks, squirrels, and even raccoons. In the spring, you will probably discover winged animals settling in your fireplace. These creatures can leave combustible flotsam and jetsam, make blockages, and even suffocate and die. It can be hard to expel creatures from the fireplace humanely. In this manner it’s less demanding and regularly less expensive to keep this event at bay by introducing a chimney cap!

The Chimney Cap Keeps Sparks In

Amid an especially hot fire, sparks and coals can rise rapidly up the vent alongside vapors and a solid updraft. The standard chimney cap plan highlights both a cover and a screen that holds these stray particles into the flue. Without the top, these sparks can get away from the stack’s opening and touch dry leaves and garbage on the rooftop. This can cause both loss of property and life.

What are the distinctive sorts of stack tops?

Diverse chimney cap varieties have their own individual advantages. How about we take a gander at a couple of the most well known tops:

Standard Chimney Cap – This top incorporates screening on all sides to keep creatures from settling in your stack. It likewise traps vast sparks that advance up your vent when your chimney or wood stove is being used.

Draft-Increasing Chimney Cap – This sort of top uses outside breeze to make more grounded updrafts. This kind is best for chimneys that have existing issues with drafts. Its drawback is that it utilizes turning turbines that can progress toward becoming built up with smoke and ash after some time.

Lock Top Damper Chimney Cap – Damper caps come furnished with a stainless-steel cover appended to the casing. A long link drops down the smokestack, which is worked by a handle that is mounted in the firebox. This takes into account brisk and secure shutting of the bolt top at the property holder’s comfort. The damper can likewise be secured in the vacant position amid a fire.

Contract a Professional

Having a chimney cap introduced is perhaps the best thing you can improve the situation of your stack. It’s one preventive advance that has a major effect, and ought to be joined with proficient establishment and also routine upkeep like smokestack assessments and ranges. When you procure an expert like Chimney Sweeps West, you get an expert assurance, as well as fit you with the best top for your particular stack.

Why You Should Install a Chimney Cap

Posted on November 13, 2017 by - Chimney Care

While you may not be personally acquainted with the life systems of your home’s chimney or fireplace, a chimney cap assumes a critical part in your home’s chimney framework. In the event that your home doesn’t as of now have one, here are five reasons why you ought to consider introducing a chimney cap.

Fall Chimney Inspections

Posted on October 23, 2017 by - Chimney Care

Fall Chimney Inspections

Winter is almost here again, and as you’d know, there are many wonderful things you can enjoy during the winter months. The cool air, hearty soups and hot chocolate can be surprisingly refreshing. But winter is also the time of the holiday season, and in the weeks leading up to the holidays you’ll barely have time for anything other than preparations for when friends and families come over.

Get a head start on your winter preparations this year! Check your home inside out for maintenance tasks you can do before winter. Getting a chimney inspection before winter is also a vital part of keeping your family safe.

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Winter Chimney Safety Tips

To keep your chimney safe, it’s always best to have it inspected by a qualified chimney professional before winter. Doing so can help you avoid a nasty chimney fire during the festive season. After all, the last thing you’d want over the holidays is to lose time with friends and family over a house fire!

During inspection, a chimney professional will clean out your chimney and check for any structural issues, like cracks, missing mortar and other potential problems. Your chimney professional will also check for any animals, like birds that have made their nest in the chimney.

When to Get a Chimney Inspection

There’s no right or wrong time to get your chimney inspected. When you get your chimney will depend on some of the following factors:

  • The date of your last professional chimney inspection: To practice good chimney safety, the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that you get an annual chimney inspection by a professional. If you don’t even know when last your chimney was inspected, now is definitely a good time to call your local chimney sweeps.
  • How long you’ve been living in your home: If you just moved into a new place, it’s best to have your chimney inspected before you use the fireplace this winter.
  • Changes to your chimney system: If you’ve made any changes to your chimney or fireplace, it’s recommended to get an inspection done before you make a fire again.
  • Your chimney’s odor: If you were smelling smoke or other foul odors last time you used your fireplace, it’s definitely time for a chimney inspection. If your chimney smells bad even when you aren’t using it, that’s also a sign that your chimney needs to be cleaned and inspected.

Remember, when there’s debris hiding in your chimney, it can catch fire. Creosote buildup can also cause your chimney to start leaking smoke and carbon monoxide into your home. Because carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, this can have serious implications on your family’s health.

The Three Levels of Chimney Inspections

When it comes to getting your chimney inspected, there are three different kinds of checks your chimney professional can perform:

  • Level 1: This level of inspection is for when you annually have your chimney inspected and you know it was in good shape last time you used it.
  • Level 2: The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends a level 2 chimney inspection if you moved into a new house, or when changes have been made to your chimney.
  • Level 3: A level 3 inspection is only required when either a level 1 or 2 inspection reveals that there are serious problems with your chimney that need to be fixed. A level 3 inspection will include the costs of removing and replacing chimney components that are no longer functional. If your chimney is visibly damaged and crumbling to pieces, you’ll also need a level 3 inspection.

If you’re unsure about getting your chimney inspected, it’s always best to simply go with a level 1 inspection. While a level 2 inspection is certainly recommended under certain circumstances, getting a level 1 inspection is better than doing no maintenance on your chimney at all. After doing a level 1 inspection, your chimney professional will also be able to tell you if there will be additional repair costs for your chimney. Should any part of your chimney look suspicious after a level 1 inspection, further investigation will need to be done, which would require you to do a level 2 inspection.

Choosing Professional Chimney Sweep Services

When you choose a chimney sweep, you’re trusting this professional with the health and safety of your family. Just as you wouldn’t go to just any doctor, you shouldn’t work with just any professional chimney sweeps.

Unfortunately, there are some chimney sweeps out there who aren’t even chimney sweeps at all. These people will charge you for a chimney inspection and will then disappear with your money without ever providing the service you paid for. To protect yourself against these malicious characters, you have a responsibility to research any professional chimney sweep before hiring them. Some important things to look at when choosing a chimney sweep include:

  • Brick and mortar location: More than anything else, a brick and mortar location is a sign that you’re working with a real professional chimney sweep business.
  • Customer reviews: Even when you work with a real business, reviews from previous customers can help you find the best value for your money.
  • Reasonable pricing: Granted, you don’t want to simply choose the chimney sweeps that give you the lowest quote, but if you get a quote that is well above the normal market price for a chimney inspection, the business is overcharging you. You should be able to get a reliable business without having to pay hundreds of dollars more for your inspection.

If you would like to get ahead on your winter preparations this year, feel free to contact Chimney Sweeps West in Knoxville, TN for a quote on a professional inspection for your chimney.

Tips For Hiring A Qualified Masonry Contractor

Posted on September 18, 2017 by - Chimney Care

Enlisting a Chimney repair contractor to do repairs on your smokestack done in your home in Knoxville, TN can be overwhelming undertaking. This is on the grounds that many individuals will claim to be Chimney repair contractors when you begin your hunt, yet not every one of them have what it takes and skill to take care of business right.