With fall in the air, it’s time to get your chimney inspected before you need it to heat your home. There’s some chimney maintenance you can do yourself, while other tasks require a professional. Here’s how to prepare your chimney for the busy season.
Get a Thorough Checkup and Cleaning
If your chimney is not structurally sound, it may leak, cause smoke buildup in the home, or negatively affect your health. Rather than assume your chimney is healthy because you don’t see anything wrong with it, let a pro check things out.
After you’ve had your chimney inspected, get it cleaned. A chimney sweep removes soot and creosote, to make your chimney cleaner. Creosote logs may be tempting but they aren’t as efficient as a chimney sweep. Best practice is to bring in the chimney sweep to clean your chimney at the beginning of the season, then tidy up ashes when needed. For peace of mind that your sweep knows their stuff, look for chimney sweeps who are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
Trim Trees
If large trees overhang the chimney, they could catch fire. As you clean up your yard for the fall, trim back any trees that hang over the roof near the chimney to reduce your risk of fire.
Open the Flue
if the flue is not open, your chimney will not vent outside. Make sure the flue is open before before the season’s first fire.
Check Your Smoke Detectors and CO Monitor
As you’re thinking about fire safety, check the batteries on your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. These are your first line of safety if smoke or deadly carbon monoxide spills into the home, and best practice recommends checking these in spring and fall.
Brush Up on Fire Safety
With everything in good working order, brush up on fire safety so you can keep your chimney or wood stove running safely. Only burn wood that’s been seasoned for at least 6 months. Use a fireplace screen to keep embers contained and place furniture at least 3 feet from the fireplace.
Check Your Chimney Now
If you wait until winter, you’ll have a hard time getting an appointment. Worse, you may wind up bringing a contractor who doesn’t specialize in chimney service. Get your chimney checked out by the pros at Brandstetter’s KangaRoof. Call today: 513.713.0418
