
Annandale, VA Virginia 22003
When you require your chimney swept, we are here and prepared to assist! We offer a full range of chimney services including sweeping, maintenance, and repairs. Simply give us a call and we can help with your chimney needs!
Customer satisfaction is our #1 priority. We happily offer rapid response times and the best quality services for all our chimney sweeping customers.
A chimney sweep will certainly do a thorough chimney cleaning to get rid of any type of deposits, residue, creosote, as well as blockages from the chimney. Filthy, damaged deteriorating, and blocked chimneys create injuries as well as fires annually. If you use you fire place or wood burning stove, the National Fire Protection Association suggests having your chimney examined and also swept each year in order to protect against fires.
A chimney service expert will carry out a full cleaning of your chimney. Cleaning logs are really ineffective and are not suggested. They will not remove all the soot and creosote build-up out of the chimney like hand cleaning.
To begin, a cleaning professional will shield the inside of your residence by spreading out tarps over the area, floor, and hearth. They will cover the fire place with vinyl sheeting, putting an industrial vacuum cleaner tube right into the fireplace, and will then tape and also seal the fireplace. They'll attach extension hoses and run them to the industrial vacuum with a fine micron filter which rests outside. This will catch the fine residue, creosote, and other dirt later.
Next, they will brush the entire chimney with hand held brushes, and brushes with extension poles. Usually they will begin at the top of the chimney and work downward, carefully cleaning all the surfaces. Your chimney sweep will clean the flue, the damper, the smoke chamber, the smoke shelf, and the firebox.
They will then peel back a small portion of the plastic sheeting and use a range of brushes inside. Following this, everything will be vacuumed and cleaned up. The plastic sheeting and tarps will be relocated outside, cleared off and tucked back into their vehicle.
Our expert chimney experts supply a complete range of services including sweeping. We offer quick and also reputable service.
Creosote is a brown, oily, tar-like material which forms from burning wood or coal. It starts as a loose, feathery accumulation which initially can be brushed away easily. As it accumulates more, it becomes tar-like, and is more difficult to remove, in some cases requiring the use of scrapers to remove it. If left uncleaned, and even more layers develop, the creosote hardens.
When a fire is burned in the fireplace or wood stove, the smoke becomes very hot. Solidified creosote can start to drip as well as melt like wax. As soon as the build up of creosote is really heavy, it restricts the air movement through the chimney flue. The restricted air circulation causes creosote to accumulate even faster.
Creosote is hazardous in a couple of different ways. It's toxic and harmful for your health, and it places your house in danger of fires.
Creosote accumulation creates diminished air flow and this can allow carbon monoxide gas to accumulate inside your house while a fire is burning. Carbon monoxide gas is an odorless and colorless gas which can trigger flu-like symptoms, and can even bring about death.
Besides the carbon monoxide gas accumulation, creosote itself is toxic. It can cause irritated skin and eyes, breathing troubles, and is carcinogenic (cancer triggering).
The most dangerous aspect of creosote is that it is incredibly combustible. It's the most common cause of chimney fires. While chimneys are made to stand up to a high degree of heat, the strength of a chimney fire can quickly exceed this degree.
Getting a chimney sweep performed is the best and also most reliable way to eliminate creosote. Our qualified chimney service companies take great care of your chimney and also your home. We advise that you get your chimney cleaned and checked a minimum of annually in order to prevent fires and poisonous build up.
Exactly how frequently a chimney must be cleaned depends of just how frequently you use it and what materials you burn within. Gas burning fireplaces ought to be checked yearly. Although they burn cleaner, moisture, debris, cracks and various other concerns can develop which can allow carbon monoxide gas to enter the house.
Oil burning flues need to be cleaned once a year to prevent soot from building up.
Because wood burning fireplaces and stoves produce even more residue and creosote, they need to be swept a lot more often. A great general rule is to have your chimney swept after a cord of wood has been burned inside.