You may already be seeing the first signs of spring and are looking forward to warmer weather. Spring is a great time to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection to clean out all of the soot and creosote that have built up over the winter and to look for any winter-related damage that should be repaired as quickly as possible. Many national fire safety organizations such as the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend that chimneys should be swept and inspected at least once a year. At Winston’s Chimney Service, we are often asked about the reasons for this recommendation, and the answer has to do primarily with your safety. Our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps take great care to remove all of the accumulated creosote from the inner walls of your chimney, and this removal greatly reduces your risk of a chimney fire as creosote is extremely flammable. Our sweeps will also inspect your chimney to look for any blockages or other damage that could lead to hazardous situations, such as a carbon monoxide leak. We are also frequently asked how messy a chimney sweeping can be, and we are proud to guarantee a no mess chimney cleaning. We would like to take this opportunity to tell you exactly what you can expect from our chimney sweeping and inspecting services.
Before Winston’s Chimney Service begins sweeping your chimney, we will lay down tarps around your fireplace to keep the floor clean. As part of our no mess guarantee, we will also set up a large and powerful vacuum that will collect all of the dust, soot, and creosote from the inside of your chimney.
After we make sure we have everything set up correctly, we will then sweep the entire length of your chimney’s interior with brushes on rods. We will also use hand brushes to clean the firebox and smoke chamber.
During the chimney sweeping, we will inspect and clean the damper and its assembly. We will make any necessary adjustments to the damper to be sure it closes correctly.
Once your chimney has been completely swept, our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps will then inspect the exterior of your chimney. We will look closely at the masonry work and the crown before inspecting the interior of the chimney. We use a closed circuit video camera during our inspections, so if we do find any damage, we will email you videos and/or photos of the evidence of this damage. You will also receive a written evaluation of the condition of your chimney.
Get started on your spring cleaning list, and contact us at Winston’s Chimney Service to schedule an appointment to have your chimney swept and inspected. We do ask that you refrain from using your fireplace 24 hours before the appointment, and we also ask that you clear a space of six to eight feet in front of the fireplace by moving away plants, furniture, and other knick knacks you may have.
