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Basic Chimney Sweep & Repair Blog

Is Your Chimney Ready for Spring?

With sunshine and warmer temperatures approaching, the home improvement lists are in the works.  When taking notes, you must not forget your chimney’s annual maintenance.  While many household repairs are easy enough to be done yourself, chimney maintenance is different.  If not done correctly your home could experience draft problems or even a chimney fire.  Some repairs can be unsafe if left untouched for a long period of time.  To schedule your appointment with an experienced professional call Basic Chimney Sweep and Repair today!

How often should my chimney be swept?

If you use your fireplace excessively, it may be beneficial for you to have two sweeps annually.  You want to have one closer to burning season so that there is less time for anything to build up inside of the chimney, but you also want to make sure whatever is inside from the burning season is taken care of.  You should make sure that whoever you hire for sweeping is Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified.  Springtime is also a slower time for chimney sweeps so you should have no trouble getting an appointment.

Once the cold weather is gone, it is a good time to call your chimney sweep and get an appointment.

Once the cold weather is gone, it is a good time to call your chimney sweep and get an appointment.

What are some common chimney repairs?

Winter storms and weather can be detrimental to your chimney’s overall structure.  Early spring is the best time to do these repairs because it is starting to warm up outside, but the spring showers have not kicked into full gear.  Flashing and rain caps are two common things that your technician will check when they examine your chimney.

Another repair that will need to be looked into is the how well the chimney is sealed.  After many freezing and thawing of the unit, it will eventually begin to have small cracks for and the caulking may become loose.  After the repairs are finished, you should look into having your chimney waterproofed.  This is especially good for anyone who lives in a wet environment.

What do you do about the animals?

When left unattended your chimney can begin to house the wildlife.  While this may seem cool to your kids, your home will thank you for getting someone to come remove whatever animals may be inside.  To keep both you and the animal safe, this removal should only be done by a professional – we’d be happy to help.  Animals of all sizes often use the home for nesting, but also for storage.  This will not combine well when warm temperatures combine with the animal’s nests.

 

 

 

 

 

By Ronald Caillais on March 14th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is Your Chimney Ready for Spring?
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