The Importance of Fireplace and Chimney Cleaning and Maintenance

Strong winds blow, scattering dried leaves across the ground, and morning frost clouds the windows. Inside, the home is cozy and warm, and you relax comfortably near a crackling fire. Winter is steadily approaching and fireplace season has already arrived. But if your chimney and fireplace has not seen regular maintenance and cleaning for some time, then your soothing fire can quickly become a hazardous condition.

A fireplace and chimney that has not been properly maintained can lead to several problems, with the most frequent being smoke that fills your home rather than being vented through your chimney.

Chimney cleaning and maintenance should be checked and performed at least once a year to ensure safe fireplace conditions. Much of the regular maintenance involved with cleaning a chimney can be performed by yourself, but more intensive repairs and cleaning may require a professional chimney sweep.

Over time, soot can buildup within the chimney, and if a protective rain cap or other guard is not installed at the top of a chimney, then leaves and additional debris can also serve to hamper the flow of air from your fireplace to the outside. This can result in occasional or continuous smoking entering your home. Other factors that need to be addressed if smoking occurs is construction of the chimney itself, proper air flow and temperature, and environmental factors, such as wind and surrounding terrain which can cause the airflow within your chimney to be suddenly reversed. A professional chimney sweep can address these problems if you find that regular chimney maintenance has not solved your smoking problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should my chimney be cleaned?
All chimneys should be inspected yearly by a certified professional and cleaned as required. The inspection is necessary to ensure that the chimney has adequate draft, is free of debris and cracks, has no loose or missing mortar joints and is otherwise free of damage.

When is the best time of the year to have my chimney cleaned?
We recommend having your chimney swept or inspected at the end of each heating season. There is a greater appointment availability than in the fall, and if repairs are need, you'll have at least 6 months to complete them.

What can I do with smoke coming back?
First check that your damper is fully open. Crack a window or door open to allow replacement air into the room. If it continues close any glass doors to the firebox. Also check to make sure that bathroom, kitchen and attic fans are off. These devices can reduce the air pressure in the house, reversing the draft. At anytime if flames are coming out of the firebox, extinguish the fire and open all windows immediately.

How do you Sweep a chimney?
A chimney flue is cleaned with special brushes that fit your chimney flue. We clean most chimneys from inside the house. This method allows for more control of the dust. The brushes are attached to flexible poles, we add poles as needed to push the brush up into the flue. We can only do this as fast as our special chimney vacuum collects the debris. The walls of the fireplace are cleaned by hand using wire brushes.

Does a chimney sweep remove the black from the wall of the fireplace?
No. We can only clean off the soot on the surface of the brick. Each time you burn a fire this black changes according to how hot you burn your fire.

Will the chimney sweep cause a mess in my home?
No. By cleaning the chimney from inside your home we maintain control over the dust. All our equipment is laid out on clean drop cloths in front of your fireplace. The hose of our chimney vacuum collects the debris as we brush the chimney. We can only brush the chimney as fast as our vacuum collects the dust. The dirtier the chimney flue, the slower we brush.

What are you looking for when you do a chimney evaluation?
We do a thorough exterior and interior inspection of the flue and chimney. We look at the type of chimney you have, we inspect the liner type, if present, the size of your chimney flue. When cleaning your heating system flues, we will evaluated the interior flue for any deterioration, make sure that your heating appliances are properly sized for the chimney that they are venting into. Check for condensation/moisture and any damage that can be caused from moisture. We will also let you know the condition of your chimney and whether or not a chimney cap is present, and also check your flashing for ware.

What is a flue?
A flue is the passageway inside your chimney that allows the gases to pass out of the home and into the atmosphere. A chimney houses flues.

How many flues do I have?
You should have one flue for each fireplace, stove, and furnace or boiler. Some homes also have a separate flue for their water heater.

Do I need a chimney cap?
All chimneys should have caps to prevent leaves, sticks, debris, animals and most importantly, rain and snow from entering the chimney flue.

Will a cap prevent my flue from venting properly?
A chimney cap is designed by code for your protection. It must be installed and sized properly to vent correctly. In some cases chimney caps actually help eliminate certain downdrafts and improve venting.

Can my damper be repaired?
A damper that has come loose or off its bracket can be reseated. However, if a damper has become brittle and parts have snapped off, it cannot be repaired. It must be replaced. A replacement damper is installed on top of the chimney flue and is connected by a cable to an adjustable bracket secured to the wall of the fireplace. This type of damper is air tight and helps cut down on heat and air conditioning loss when closed. The damper also has a cap built onto it to keep out debris, rain, snow, and animals when opened.

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