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Choose CSIA Certified Sweeps

In an always on-the-go type of world people often overload their list and overlook some of the most important tasks. It’s even more important that you don’t let your fireplace and chimney be two places in your home that you do not neglect. Even though they are only used a portion of the year, they must have a annual inspection and chimney sweep to make sure that they are in safe and working order to make sure you and your family have a warm winter all year long. If you need to schedule your chimney sweep and inspection, call Basic Chimney Sweep and Repair.

Get a CSIA certified chimney sweep to ensure the best service and care for your chimney..

Get a CSIA certified chimney sweep to ensure the best service and care for your chimney..

Where to find CSIA Certified Sweeps?

When looking to hire chimney technicians, you need someone that is not only professional but CSIA certified. This means that they meet the standards set by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. These businesses can be found through a variety of ways, such as asking community members or online. For the safety of your home, you always want your chimney care to be the best.

Why Get a CSIA Certified Sweep?

There’s a lot of importance in having a chimney sweep. To start, they remove the built up creosotes that could potentially start a chimney fire. Creosotes can also cause a blockage where smoke will remain inside of your home. If you continue to breathe enough of this smoke in, you could develop Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Animals also cause blockages in your chimney, and a sweep will remove those as well. When doing the sweep a technician will be able to see if there are any parts the may not be in working order. What may seem as a small issue to you could potentially put you and your home in danger, even if it only a broken brick or tile. If there is a crack it will continue to grow until it is fixed. Water can then get in and form mold, and spread to the rest of your home when not taken care of. If the unit is broken it could not be only unsafe, but cost more to operate. These sweeps should be done annually at the beginning of the season by a CSIA professional.

 

By Ronald Caillais on December 11th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on Choose CSIA Certified Sweeps

How Do I Find a Chimney Sweep?

How to Choose a Chimney Sweep

A responsible homeowner knows that they should have their chimney inspected and cleaned by a chimney sweep at least once a year. However, the problem often comes when they need to choose a chimney sweep to get the job done. How do you know who to trust to ensure the safety and efficiency of your heating system? There are a few guidelines that anyone can follow to make sure the job is done right.

Chimney Sweep - Baton Rouge LA - Basic Chimney

Chimney Sweep – Baton Rouge LA – Basic Chimney

The best place to start when looking for a chimney sweep is with friends and family members who also have chimneys in their homes. Ask them which company they use to maintain their chimney and how they felt about the experience. These people will not be invested in the company and will therefore have no problem giving their unbiased opinion. They will be able to speak to the chimney sweep’s ability but also to their professionalism and customer service.  If no one has a good recommendation, consider contacting the Better Business Bureau for a recommendation of a reputable company.

Even after speaking with someone who can make an informed recommendation, it is important to do some independent research before making a decision. When speaking with the company for the first time, be sure to ask if they have contact information for recent customer references. It is important to make sure that references are current in order to get the most accurate information. A less recent client may have dealt with someone who is no longer with the company and is not indicative of the service they provide now.

Another thing to consider is that many chimney sweep companies get a great deal of their business through word of mouth. For this reason, it is important to ask for how long the company has been in business. If a company has been providing consistent, sub par service in a community, it is unlikely that they will stay in business for very long. This will also give an indication of how experienced the individual chimney sweeps are likely to be.

Many people do not realize that it takes a special certification to become a chimney sweep. All reputable chimney sweeps are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. However, this does not mean that every technician working for a given company is certified. Before making an appointment, make sure the company can ensure a certified technician will actually be the one to do the job.

After doing all of this legwork, it is reasonable to expect that the chimney cleaning will go off without a hitch. However, even the most experienced and reliable chimney sweeps have been known to have accidents from time to time. It is necessary to choose a company that can provide proof of insurance for all workers. This will ensure that everyone is protected in the event of an injury or if there is any damage to the chimney and fireplace.

Finding a reliable chimney sweep is an important task because the chimney and fireplace are such vital parts of the home. After asking friends and relatives for recommendations, do not forget to ask the company themselves for recent references. Make sure that the chosen company is insured and can guarantee a chimney sweep that is certified by the CSIA. Taking all of these steps will ensure that the home has a clean and safe chimney.

By Ronald Caillais on July 13th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Do I Find a Chimney Sweep?

Camera Investigation for Chimney Cleaning

The best way to approach cleaning anything is to know with what you are actually dealing. Grass stains are different than mechanical grease, and that is a different thing than cooking grease. The situation is the same inside your chimney, so a camera-assisted inspection by a certified sweep before and after cleaning is a really good idea.

Chimney Inspections with Cameras - Baton Rouge LA - Basic Chimney

Try This At Home….

What exists in the flue that cannot be seen from above or below determines how the chimney needs to be cleaned. Soot is different than later stage creosote, and they indicate different things as well, at least to professionals who understand them. The condition of mortar is important not only on the roof but within the chimney too, as is the ability to see and assess it.

Homeowners instinctively get this, but tend to trust in the uniformity of the chimney’s condition, which just should not be blindly relied upon. The safety of the whole house and family is at stake, so assumptions and risks just are not worth it. Once a year, the whole chimney needs to be visually inspected by a CSIA certified sweep who knows what he is looking at.

But Not By Yourself!

Routinely performed as part of cleanings and inspections by certified chimney sweeps, the practiced lowering of specially designed cameras reveals more than the obvious. Please note important words of caution here: If you do not know what you are doing, you can damage your flue. Even if you are lucky enough not to, your untrained eyes are likely to miss what could be early, cost-saving, warnings.

To spell it out a little more clearly, no homeowner should be lowering a cell phone on a string into a flue. This is serious work with serious consequences and it really needs to be handled by professionals. Knowing what you are getting out of the chimney is a great idea, but you should be using your phone to call a certified sweep.

By Ronald Caillais on April 12th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , | Comments Off on Camera Investigation for Chimney Cleaning
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