When you light fires in the hearth’s firebox, you want to enjoy the warm ambiance and pleasant aroma of firewood. Unfortunately, your house has an unpleasant smell that makes the house uncomfortable to live in and it’s not fun for anyone.

There are plenty of reasons your house will have an unpleasant smell. These reasons include:

Creosote accumulation

You’re probably aware that creosote poses a fire risk to your home, and you make it a point to get your chimney swept by an experienced chimney sweep before the fire-burning season each year to keep it safe.

Creosote also poses another risk: it can produce a strongly unpleasant odor that permeates from your chimney into your home. The creosote in your chimney, particularly during the humid summer months or when rainy weather causes water to enter your chimney, can fill your home with an unpleasant, barbecue or asphalt-like odor.

To get rid of this smell, you only need to hire a cleaning professional to clean the unit.

High moisture levels

A smell as a result of high moisture levels is difficult to define yet instantly identifiable. The musty odor of dank fireplace ash combined with humidity creates a weird, damp, smokey odor that lingers long after the fires have died down.

In most cases, humid, moist air can exacerbate any odor. Even still, chimney dampness has an old familiar fragrance. The musty odor, caused by unnoticed condensation, only worsens with time. Leaks are often always the source of the problem.

You should get this checked and treated right away to avoid breathing problems caused by mold or mildew in your house.

House airflow problems

Almost everyone knows the term “backdraft,” No, we don’t mean Ron Howard’s famous 1991 film, but rather what happens to fireplaces. Backdrafting is a major cause of foul-smelling chimneys.

A new roof, ventilation fans, new windows or skylights, and combustion appliances can all result in negative air pressure in your home. To help regulate the air pressure in your home, air can be drawn down the chimney and into it, carrying with it the scents that your chimney emits.

Cracking open a window, turning on a fan, closing your chimney’s damper, or closing your fireplace doors can all assist in preventing air from being drawn in through your chimney.

Dead animals and debris

There is never a shortage of critters attempting to enter your chimney. What animals leave behind after entering vents (such as chimney flues) is a nasty side effect. Assuming the animals make it out alive, they often don’t carry out their stuff.

Any sticks or leaves brought in by birds, bats, or other flying pests can become a blockage in your flue.

Larger animals, such as raccoons, squirrels, possums, cats, and small rodents like moles, can enter your chimney and make their home at the bottom.

Either they will rest on top of a closed chimney damper, or they will climb down (or fall) into your firebox and establish a cozy little home for themselves and their young.

Sometimes, these animals get stuck in your flue. The mother animals can occasionally enter and exit to excrete waste; however, the young animals are trapped in the chimney and must use their fireplace as a restroom, which makes the situation worse.

If you have determined you have animals in your chimney, you should get in touch with the relevant authorities in your area and ask them to come and remove these animals.

Tricks to get rid of the fireplace smells

Keep the chimney clean all the time

You shouldn’t wait until the day that a chimney cleaning professional comes to clean your unit. You should always exercise best practices that keep your unit clean at all times.

When you put out the fire, make sure that you sweep up all of the debris and ash; otherwise, it will leave a horrible smokey smell.

You should use a chimney cap or cover since it is an amazing or sensible way to ensure that nothing from the outside enters your property and also prevents moisture from entering.

Finally, maintain your chimney’s cracks to a minimum; otherwise, the chimney cap and other hacks will be ineffective.

Absorb the smells using charcoal.

A natural product that can absorb odors is charcoal. What you should do is move a bucket with charcoal briquettes and damp bits of old newspaper closer to the fireplace, then allow the charcoal to do the work.

Deodorize your chimney with vinegar.

Did you know vinegar is a powerful deodorizer and a natural way to get rid of the harsh soot and ash stink around your fireplace?

There are several ways to use vinegar for cleaning, and they all assist in controlling the foul odor of the fireplace, such as:

• A dish of vinegar will absorb all of the aromas emanating from a fireplace.
• Mix water and vinegar in a spray bottle and sprinkle the fireplace surround.
• Alternatively, spray it on a towel and wave it.
• If you choose to deodorize it with vinegar, make sure not to combine it with bleach or ammonia. In this circumstance, it emits a noxious gas that may be dangerous or even fatal.

Undertake monthly inspections

You should make it a habit to undertake a monthly inspection to eradicate odors from your fireplace. For example, if you performed all of the cleaning measures outlined above but the smell is still there, the issue is with airflow in your room.

That is why you must schedule a chimney inspection Elicott City. The inspection will uncover the actual problem with your unit.

You can do the inspection by yourself but for the best outcome, let a professional do it for you.

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