Chimney Cleaning              

The most common service we provide is chimney or fireplace sweeping and inspection.  Everyone wants to know to know how often you need to have your chimney swept and inspected.  The Chimney safety Institute of America and the National Fire Protection Association say you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year or more depending on use.  Just because you haven't used it in a while is no reason to assume it is safe, all kinds of things such as animals can get in your chimney during the off season.  The consumer Product Safety Commission's statistics show an average of 25,100 chimney fires responsible for 30 deaths and $126.1 million in property damage each year.  An annual inspection gives the sweep a chance to find cracks, creosote build up or other dangerous  developments in your chimney.  The sweep also has a chance to check the top of your chimney and make sure nothing has been knocked off allowing rain and the elements into your home.  Of course if we get there and your chimney does not need sweeping then you will only be charged for the inspection.  Putting off a sweep to save money is taking a dangerous chance. 

The reason you need your chimney swept is because of the smoke, which contains tiny unburned but flammable solid particles which adhere to the walls of your chimney, called creosote, or more commonly soot.  As these deposits build up a small spark from a fire can ignite them causing a chimney fire.  Chimneys and pipes like the ones on wood stoves are designed for smoke to pass through at relatively low temperatures, they are not built to withstand chimney fires which can burn at 2,000 degrees.  A chimney fire can destroy the mortar in a masonry chimney which can cause a chimney to collapse or allow the fire to spread to the framing members of your home.  Pre-fab chimneys are especially a concern to chimney sweeps.  Improper installation by contractors who are not chimney experts can lead to defects such as improperly connected pipes and combined with over firing and general deterioration can lead to home fires.  See our About Chimneys page to determine what type of chimney you have.  Soot build up also reduces the flow of air out of the flue so the chance of smoke coming back in your house is increased.  The smell of smoke may take several days to leave your house.  General maintenance also dictates a yearly inspection, caps and pans can be damaged or blow away during storms leaving the top of your home exposed to the elements, allowing water, debris and critters access.  So have your chimney inspected every year for safety's sake.

Chimney Inspection

So what do we do during a chimney inspection, what are we looking for?  We offer a 21 point inspection that encompasses all components that a chimney and fireplace could contain.  This inspection will reveal if the chimney is well maintained and in perfect working order or if there are any problems that could occur durig normal operation.  The most common problems found are leaky crowns, leaky caps and dampers, cracked fireboxes and the most dangerous condition, dirty flues.  In general we check for four basic things:

1.  Is there soot built up or third stage creosote that needs  to be removed to prevent a chimney fire.

2.  Is the chimney heat tight?  Is there any obvious signs of wear that heat can escape through causing  a house fire?

3.  Is the chimney air tight?  Is there any obvious signs of wear that smoke and poisonous gasses like carbon monoxide can escape through your walls causing a deadly situation for you and your family.

4.  Is the chimney water tight?  Is there an obvious place where wear or rust is letting water into your home that is causing damage?

Third Stage Creosote

In less than 3% of the chimneys we service the chimney has had so much repeated use between cleanings that third stage creosote has built up.  This is the most flammable stage of creosote.  At first when smoke leaves deposits in your chimney that is the powdery sooty dust you expect and can be swept out easily by our brushes.  This is Stage One.  Stage Two is crispy and flaky, but is still soft enough that with a little extra elbow grease our brushes can sweep it out.  Third stage is after a lot of soot has built up and has cooked in the chimney, now it is solid and hard and cannot be swept.  It can have a musty smell that sometimes is very strong throughout the house.  See this picture of a piece of Third Satge Creosote we pulled out of a chimney.  To remove Third Stage Creosote we have to apply a chemical treatment that breaks it down so that later we can come back and sweep it out with a brush.  This is an added expense for the customer, which is why it is best to have your chimney swept before Third Stage forms.  Third Stage is the most flammable form of creosote and is very dangerous to have fires near.

Cap and Pan, Cap and Crown

The very best investment you can make in your chimney is a good quality cap and/or pan for a pre-fab chimney or a cap and/or crown for a masonry chimney.  See what these items are on your chimney with our diagram on the About Chimneys page.  A cap and pan or cap and crown keeps rain out of your home does not allow animals to make a home in you r flue or walls.  A cap also contains a spark arrestor.  Rain and weather is the biggest cause of damager to your chimney and home.  Rain can rust out metal.  Rain is absorbed into bricks and  mortar and deteriorates the masonry compromising your chimney's stability.  Rain gets into your walls and ruins drywall and plaster, causes mold rot and attracts termites and bugs.  Rain can destroy your chimney making it a serious fire hazard if used. 

 See this chimney with rust on the side of the pan.  If this pan has this much rust on the side, how much do you think there is on top where water can sit?  Tine holes are already forming and they grow every time it rains. 

A good cap keeps birds and animals out of your chimney.  Critters are attracted to chimneys, they are warm, smell great and are a nice tall secure place to make a home.  But their nests are highly flammable.  You would be amazed at the kinds of animals we have found in chimneys, raccoons, birds, squirrels, snakes and one very angry owl.  Baby birds constantly chirp and can drive you nuts!  And if the critter can't get back out the top then he'll try to exit through your home.  Some have their babies in your chimney and when they don't all survive they die in there creating a terrible smell and maggot infestation.  Plus the critters have lice, fleas, dander and diseases that can put your family at risk.  The nests left behind are not just fuel for a raging chimney fire but they block the chimney so fumes and and smoke can't escape.  The migratory birds that nest in chimneys are called chimney swifts and like salmon they come back to the same place year after year to have their babies.  We recently had one house that had 18 inches of bird debris in their chimney. Yuck!  Nest materials, feathers, rotten eggs, dead babies and bird excremement.  What a mess living right inside your house!

Left: Here is a chase pan on a pre-fab metal chimney.  Water is coming into this house every time it rains!

Right:This is the same chimney with a new aluminum chase pan.  No more leaks, and this one willnot rust.

Left: This is a crown on a masonry chimney that is leaking water into the brick below.  This water will ruin the brick as well as make its way into the house.  And just think how many animals can fit in that open flue!

Right: Now that's better.  The crwon is water proofed and  no rain or animals can get in the flue. 

Damper

Your damper is the "door" that closes the flue when the chimney is not in use.  If you leave your damper open or it is missing or broken then your heating and
air-conditioning are being drawn right out of the house.  Your chimney is a pipe out of your home specifically designed to pull air out.  Leaving your damper open is like leaving two windows wide open.  When we are on your roof in the summer we can lean over your chimney and feel cool air blowing on our faces.  While your neighbors thank you for doing your part  to keep the neighborhood cool, it isn't really cost effective.  Having us fox your damper or install a new damper can save you hundreds of dollars a year on utility bills.

Chim Chimney Song

For those of you who are nostalgic we offer the singing of the Chim Cihmney song, complete with top hat, jacket and brushes and a little dance.  It costs a lot, a whole lot and is definitley not worth the money.