Understanding What Goes On Inside Your Chimney
Looks can be deceiving. The might seem like it’s in perfect condition and ready to perform its strenuous duties for the upcoming cold winter nights, but is it really fit for the job? Your chimneys can appear in excellent form externally, but little do we know what’s happening inside of it. If we don’t pay close attention to it and put it up for regular inspection and sweeping, you might just endanger your life and everyone else in your home.
Chimneys are most often used only during the winter holidays to give off heat and warm your home. The rest of the year, they just contribute to the interior design of your living room. But just because it’s not used all year round, doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. It is important for us to know the inner workings of your chimney: its parts, its functions, and how to clean and maintain it. This can ensure our safety in the home as well as give as the warmth and satisfaction we yearn for.
A certified chimney professional can look inside your chimney and see the beginnings of trouble. Addressing it early can save more than money.
Nowadays, as a result of many innovations that sprung out from years of experience and focusing on people’s safety and needs, a huge variety of chimney structures have been made. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, from the simplest to the most complex forms. Some are vented, others are vent-free. Some are waterproof with the invention of chimney caps. Companies in the industry have also managed to come up with innovations for other parts like the chimney flues, liners and dampers. Modern chimneys have adjustable controls for heating. You also have the option to use gas logs and natural gas or propane to keep the fire burning.
Although these features can be very exciting, they have the same effect if not properly maintained and taken care of. Your negligence for your chimneys can have various consequences. Carbon monoxide poisoning is just one of them; where you inhale air that carries harmful toxins that can take over the oxygen-giving cells in your blood. This can result to permanent damage to your health and even worse, death. Aside from that, you risk permanent damage to your hard-earned property.
The possibility of having obstructions, cracks and unwanted pests or debris inside the chimney can create all sorts of problems and allow it to be a viable breeding ground for unhealthy organisms like molds. Even a little amount of water that enters the chimney flues can cause permanent damage to your chimney and poses great health risks. For old-fashioned chimneys, it can be dangerous because it lacks technological and state of the art features that are available in the market these days. The protection it offers is very limited and its open combustion system can endanger your health.
To prevent this from ever occurring, it is best recommended by chimney professionals to have your chimneys inspected at least once a year to thoroughly survey what is really going on inside your chimneys. Second, chimney relining and restoration might be advised. This is only to help you, as a homeowner, to provide utmost safety and security inside your home.
You can only find the best of chimney inspections, relining and restoration with Winston’s Chimney Services. They have served the delightful people of Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland since 1978. Complete with certifications, they are equipped and well-prepared to handle your chimney troubles both big and small.