Month: November 2022

How to Keep Snow Out of Your Chimney

With winter coming up, now’s the time to prepare your home for upcoming snowstorms. Chimneys can be susceptible to damage from snow and ice during the colder months, and it’s important to prepare to make sure you can relax by the fire all season long. Here’s how to keep snow out of your chimney and protect it during the winter months.

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Chimney Cap Installation in Granby CTKeeping Snow Out Of Your Chimney

During particularly heavy snowstorms, snow can fall from your roof directly into your chimney. This is because your chimney needs to remain open in order to let smoke out. Snow falling into your chimney will make it very difficult to use your fireplace, and it can also cause water damage.

The best way to keep snow out of your chimney is to install a chimney cap. A chimney cap is a small covering made of metal mesh that sits on top of your chimney. It lets smoke and air out, but the mesh is small enough to prevent snow from getting inside.

Keep Animals and other Debris Out

Chimney caps are also very helpful for keeping debris and even animals from making their way into your fireplace. If you want to light a fire on a particularly cold, snowy day, you’ll need to make sure to prime the flue first. To do this, light the end of a rolled-up newspaper or magazine and hold it just above the flue. The warm air will eventually force the air to rise properly.

If you don’t prime the flue, the air and smoke from your fire won’t rise and the flame won’t stay lit.

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Snow on Top of Chimney in Southington CTPreparing Your Chimney For Winter

It’s very important to make sure your chimney is prepared for winter to avoid water damage. When snow and ice build up on your roof and in your chimney, the moisture will eventually make its way in between the bricks and mortar of your chimney. The water will then contract and expand as it freezes and melts, causing the bricks and mortar to shift over time. Additionally, if snow and ice don’t drain properly, the excess weight can cause damage to your roof.

Before it starts snowing, have your chimney and fireplace professionally inspected. A professional chimney sweep can identify potential problems with your chimney and instruct you on ways to use your chimney safely during winter. Ideally, your inspection should happen earlier in the year to allow time for repairs if necessary.

However, having your chimney inspected at any time of year is better than skipping it. It’s particularly important to make sure you have flashing on your roof. Flashing is made from thin sheets of metal and creates a seal between your roof and your chimney to prevent water from leaking inside.

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This post first appeared on https://www.mychimney.com

Causes of Chimney Odors

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Fireplaces are designed to provide beauty and warmth. You will expect that there are no smelly odors in your home from the fireplace. You will really encounter bad smells, but for a couple of reasons. The majority of issues that cause an odor to emit from the fireplace can be resolved if you hire chimney cleaning services to inspect and repair your chimney.

When you have chimneys, you will realize that the small issues can be a sign of something serious that is already brewing that can lead to future repercussions. Therefore, if there are unusual scents that come from your fireplace, you must help them discover the main cause of the issue before selling it on the market.

Buildup of Creosote

During the yearly chimney inspection, the excess buildup of creosote is removed, which allows proper airflow. However, if you regularly use your fireplace, then the buildup of creosote becomes quicker compared to homes where the fireplaces are occasionally used. This extra layer can fill your home with bad barbeque or asphalt. Even if a layer of creosote and soot is natural when your fireplace is working, keeping your chimney clean helps reduce the possibility of having this odor that is wafting in your home.

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Nesting Animals

When the cold weather is coming, animals look for shelter in any way they are able to. Most of the time, this leads to them visiting your chimneys for warmth. The unfortunate thing is that some pungent scents will start to spread through surrounding areas because of that. When it comes to moisture, a chimney cap prevents any animals from visiting your chimney.

Moisture

If there is water inside your chimney, it causes a musty and unpleasant odor. You can eliminate moisture in the chimney by installing a chimney cap. Without a cap, rainwater will get inside the chimney. Aside from causing odor, moisture causes the damper to become rusty and fail to properly open. When it mixes with creosote, moisture damages the flue lining, which results in the need for expensive but unnecessary repairs.

Accumulation of Debris

You might not be thinking that leaves and twigs go into the chimney and they cause unpleasant smells, but this is a common issue. When the outdoor debris becomes trapped in the chimney, it will begin to decompose over time leaving behind a rotting and unpleasant scent. This is another reason to fit chimneys using a cap.

Negative Air Pressure

Even if you have an installed chimney cap, a clean fireplace, and a chimney, you will still smell unpleasant odors if your home has a negative pressure inside. This normally happens in newer homes that are sealed tightly. How will negative air pressure cause bad odors to come inside your house?

There are a lot of pathways that allow air to go inside your home. It can be doors, dryers, windows, dryer exhaust vents, stove range, and roof ventilation, but the most prominent is the chimney. Air is always moving. It will go out of your house through some of the pathways and it is replaced by air that enters through the pathway with little resistance, which is normally the chimney.

Water

If you can smell a musty odor that comes from your fireplace, it could mean that water entered your chimney.

Water causes bad odors, but it can also cause the damper to rust, and damage the flue lining that generates repairs.

A chimney cap will stop the water from going inside your chimney.

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The post Causes of Chimney Odors first appeared on First Class Chimney Services.

This post first appeared on https://www.firstclasschimneyservices.com

What is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?

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Most chimney owners know that inspections are essential to keeping your chimney in safe, working order. Many get confused when it comes to the different levels of inspections, however. We frequently receive calls from people asking questions such as, “What is a level 2 chimney inspection” and “What are the different types of chimney inspections?” Chimney owners can opt for level I, II, or III chimney inspections. Today, we’ll dive into the details of level 2 inspections, discussing what they include and when they are needed. 

Some of the residential and commercial chimney services we provide include chimney inspections, chimney sweeps, chimney repairs, chimney masonry work, chimney installations, commercial chimneys, and more. 

Now, we’ll go into the details of level 2 chimney inspections. 

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tea and book by a fireplace

What Is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?

In a level 2 inspection, a chimney company will inspect all accessible areas of the chimney from the inside and outside, including attics, basements, and crawl spaces. In addition, they will check all accessible appliances connecting to the chimney. This is commonly done by video scanning the internal venting system. 

The inspection process is as follows:

  1. Examine the chimney and venting systems from every access point
  2. Climb onto the roof to check for any damage that might not be visible from the ground (as long as weather, roof pitch, or chimney height conditions do not make this impossible)
  3. Inspect all accessible areas such as basements, crawl spaces, and attics 
  4. Inspect the interior of the chimney using a camera

When Is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection Needed?

If you are buying or selling your home, a level 2 inspection is required and must be performed in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association standards. If this is you, be sure to check out the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s video about getting a chimney inspected in a hot real estate market

Level 2 inspections are also used when you are adding or removing connected appliances, replacing appliances with ones that have a different input rating or efficiency rating, or have just experienced damage due to a malfunction or external event. 

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Other Frequently Asked Chimney Inspection Questions

Some other chimney inspection questions that we often receive include the following:

How do you know If your chimney needs to be inspected?

You should have your chimney inspected annually if you are buying or selling your home or if you are having chimney issues. Click here to learn more.

What’s involved in a chimney inspection?

As we mentioned, there are three different levels of inspections: 

  • Level I inspections are completed before a chimney flue is swept or when a chimney vent appliance is replaced. These mostly involve visual inspections.
  • Level III inspections are only needed in certain circumstances. When performing a level III inspection, a chimney company will remove parts of the chimney as needed. All aspects of level I and II inspections must be completed before level III inspections can be performed. 

Read our blog for more details. 

How often do you need a chimney inspection?

If you have not had your chimney inspected in the past year, you should have it inspected. Also, if your chimney is having performance issues, if you are buying or selling your home, or if you suspect that something is wrong with your chimney, it’s time to book an inspection. Learn more about chimney inspection timelines.

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The post What is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection? appeared first on Boston’s Best Chimney.

Why Are Chimney Inspections Important?

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Have you wondered why chimney inspections are so important? If so, you’re not alone. It’s one of those “out of sight, out of mind” home maintenance tasks that often gets overlooked. However, with an average of 25,000 chimney fires across the country each year, here are the top five reasons why you’ll want to make a chimney inspection one of your top priorities this season.

Chimney Flue Inspection, Rocky Hill CTA cracked flue can lead to a house fire

Your flue is a ceramic or metal tube that runs from your firebox to the outside of your home. It’s surrounded by your masonry, but that doesn’t mean you can simply forget about it. Your flue is essential to preventing house fires, and one that is cracked or damaged will most likely result in some kind of property damage. The only true way to know if your flue is in good condition is via regular chimney inspections.

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Water damage from poor masonry

Likewise, that same masonry that surrounds your flue is susceptible to the elements. As both your brick and mortar are porous materials, water can find its way into these holes, expand during a freeze cycle, and then cause an even bigger crack. Eventually, your masonry will break down from this process which can lead to water damage inside your home. During a chimney inspection, your technician will look for signs of masonry deterioration and make recommendations to prevent it from continuing to happen.

Wildlife blockages

Speaking of the inside of your home, your flue is how dangerous gasses and fumes exit your house. If wildlife somehow makes its way into your flue and takes up residence, this can cause those same gasses to back up into your home.

It’s time to buy or sell

Eventually, you may decide to sell your home. Your home’s new owners will want to know when the last chimney inspection was before closing. However, this doesn’t always happen. You may even have purchased your home not knowing when the last chimney inspection was or what it uncovered. Having one now is both a preventive measure for yourself or if you’re considering selling your property.

Chimney Video Inspection, Newington CTHomeowner’s Insurance

Finally, if you were to have an incident that is clearly linked to your chimney, inspections can save you money. How exactly? Some insurance policies will not cover repairs to your home if you skip out on your annual chimney inspection. This will then cost you even more out of pocket as you mitigate the damage.

Schedule your next chimney inspection ASAP

If you don’t know when your last chimney inspection was, or if you’re getting ready to use your fireplace for the first time, put a pause on that and schedule your next chimney inspection and expert chimney cleaning. From house fires to blockages to insurance concerns, there are plenty of reasons to make annual chimney inspections one of your top home priorities.

Call Us at 877-959-3534 for Chimney Service

This post first appeared on https://www.mychimney.com

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