2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Chimney Inspection’ Category

We Use the Chim-Scan System for Chimney Inspections

Monday, December 5th, 2016

We want you to have a safe and happy holiday season. But an uninspected chimney can be a serious barrier to this. Spending the holidays around a warm, welcoming fire may seem like the perfect family time, but hidden dangers could lurk in the chimney and fireplace.

Routine chimney cleaning is a good way to protect your home, but it’s nothing without a complete inspection before and after. Call our team for more information about chimney cleaning services, and find out why we use the Chim-Scan video scanner below.

Tags: chimney inspections, Minneapolis
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Read This Before You Use Your Chimney

Tuesday, September 27th, 2016

You’re ready for the low temperatures to give you a chance to light a fire in your fireplace once again. A warm, welcoming fire can make a house feel like home. But don’t rush into using yours just yet. Before you get out the firewood, here are 4 things you should know before you start to use your chimney for the first time this year.

Tags: Air Conditioning System Installation, Chimneys
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Spring and Summer Chimney Problems: What Might Come Up

Monday, June 6th, 2016

If you think that you can ignore your chimney and fireplace in the spring and summertime, think again. There are a number of problems that tend to come up in the summertime and spring, though some may be more noticeable than others. Here, we list some common problems, and why we think it’s so important to stay on top of chimney inspections and making sure your chimney is safe all year round.

What Can Happen in the Spring and Summer

In the off-period for your chimney and fireplace, new problems can still appear. Or, older problems can start to reveal themselves, especially if it’s been a long time since you’ve scheduled an inspection and cleaning. Here are some examples:

Smells in the chimney – In the summer, smells from animal droppings or creosote become more obvious thanks to the humidity in the air.
Excessive creosote – This is a dangerous problem you might start to notice in the summer, and it can allow a chimney fire to ignite and spread to your home. Have your chimney cleaned each and every year to eliminate this danger.
Structural problems – Structural problems with the masonry of a chimney may help a fire to spread to the outside of a home. Some may think they add “charm” but remember than this charm could be short-lived.
Unwanted guests – One common problem that comes up in warm weather is the presence of critters like rodents or birds in the chimney. While bird nest removal of some species may be illegal as long as the nest is active, you can call in a technician afterwards to help you prevent the problem in the future.

What You Should Do

We cannot reiterate this enough: work with a quality chimney and fireplace contractor to have your chimney cleaned out each and every year. And schedule inspections if you suspect a structural problem. It helps you feel better about your family’s safety. And you can be prepared to use your fireplace in the winter.

Call 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. for chimney cleaning and inspections in Minneapolis, MN.

Tags: Chimneys, Minneapolis
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Checking Your Chimney for Creosote

Monday, May 30th, 2016

Creosote is one of the most dangerous things you can find inside of a chimney. And yet, it builds up naturally as you burn a fire in your fireplace. There are steps you can take to lessen the buildup and impact of creosote, a black, tarlike substance that is highly combustible. And you should also know what to look for to tell if your creosote problem is out of control.

Tags: chimney cleaning, Minneapolis
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Think You’re Ready to Use Your Fireplace? Do This First!

Monday, January 4th, 2016

You’ve gone all season without using your fireplace. But as temperatures continue to drop, the holidays wind down, and snow falls around your home, you feel compelled to enjoy a cozy night relaxing near the fire.

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The Basics of a Basic Level 1 Chimney Inspection

Monday, August 3rd, 2015

Perhaps you did not notice anything unusual with your chimney or fireplace the last time you used it. Even so, your chimney still deserves attention from a professional chimney technician, who can make sure it is safe to use for the upcoming heating season. A chimney may not have many moving parts, but that doesn’t mean it cannot run into trouble. Chimney fires are responsible for a large number of home fires each year, and regular Level 1 inspections help to prevent this from happening to your house.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Level 1 Chimney Inspection
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How Your Chimney Damper Saves You Money in the Summer

Monday, July 20th, 2015

Most people do not show too much concern for their chimneys in the summertime. But summer gives you a perfect opportunity to work on this part of your home. You’re not using it, technicians aren’t busy at this time of year, and they’ll have more time to focus on your chimney. Scheduling chimney cleaning protects your home from fires as well. And one chimney service can even save you money on cooling costs: damper installation or repair.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, chimney sweep
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All about Chimney Liners

Monday, May 11th, 2015

Without a liner, your chimney would be a major safety hazard. Chimney liners keep heat away from any potentially combustible areas of the home, preventing fires and protecting your family. Homes in the U.S. with chimneys are required to have a flue liner in place, but your flue liner may not necessarily be in the best shape it can be. A chimney professional can tell you what needs to be done in order to maintain your chimney liner, and whether yours requires a replacement, but here is a bit more information to keep you up-to-date about this important safety feature.

Tags: chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection
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3 Myths about Chimneys that Could Put Your Home at Risk

Monday, April 13th, 2015

Many people are fairly unfamiliar with the chimney they make use of every winter. It is such a great feeling to walk into a room kept warm and cozy by the light of a glowing fireplace, that you may not take the time to think about what’s really going on inside of the chimney. Chimneys require a certain level of regular care and maintenance, and believing otherwise could put your home and family members in jeopardy. Today, we’ll take a look at three common myths about chimneys, so that you can get the facts and take the proper steps to keep your unit safe.

Myth #1: Chimneys and fireplaces are a great, maintenance-free source of heating.

One of the most dangerous beliefs about fireplaces is that little needs to be done to keep them in good condition. A standard forced-air heating system such as a furnace contains multiple moving and electrical components, and these must all be in good condition if you want the heater to run efficiently and operate correctly and safely. Although it lacks the mechanical complexity of a furnace, your chimney needs just as much maintenance in the form of annual inspections and cleaning. A dirty chimney can lead to a chimney fire, so be sure to get on a chimney cleaning schedule today.

Myth #2: I don’t use my chimney often, so I can skip an inspection this year.

Chimney fires most commonly result when creosote builds up in the chimney flue. Your chimney is meant to provide a pathway for the dangerous byproducts of combustion to move away from the home. However, as condensation forms in the chimney flue, a residue forms from these byproducts known as creosote. If conditions in your chimney are not quite right—if the damper is not adequately opened, for example—creosote may build up more quickly. So even if you don’t use your chimney very often, you may still have a significant buildup, and it is worth it to get an inspection.

Myth #3: A good chimney sweep will get through the job fast.

If a chimney sweep service promises you fast inspection and cleaning, be wary. A chimney expert will take time to make sure that your chimney is in top shape, something that should take over an hour.

When you decide it is time for quality chimney inspections and chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN, 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. is the name to trust. Call Us Today! 612.922.9600 or 1-888-PIXLEYS

Tags: chimney, chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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Do All Chimneys Need Annual Inspection and Cleaning?

Friday, March 27th, 2015

As we head into warmer temperatures, many people are shifting their focus from the indoors to the outdoors. However, spring offers a great time to schedule a chimney inspection for your Roseville, MN, home, especially for those who use their chimney and fireplaces heavily during the winter months. So to answer the question, “do all chimneys need inspection?” the answer is a resounding yes. It doesn’t matter if you have a pre-fab chimney, use a pellet stove with low ash or use your chimney only a few times a year: you’ll need your chimney inspected. And the best people to inspect and clean your chimney are trained experts, like the ones at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.

Why Do I Need to Inspect My Chimney?

There are multiple reasons why you need to have your chimney inspected:

Home insurance coverage – some policies require that homes with working chimneys have annual chimney inspections to keep the policy in force.
Safety issues – a fireplace and/or chimney that is in disrepair or in need of cleaning can be a dangerous one.
Reduce and avoid corrosion of your fireplace and flue – combustion by products such as ash, soot and creosote are highly acidic and eat away at masonry and metal. An annual inspection and cleaning removes these acidic byproducts, keeping your chimney in good working order.
Reduce the chance of a chimney fire developing – creosote, a combustion byproduct that coats the inside of chimneys, is highly flammable; as such, your chimney shouldn’t have more than 1/8^th of an inch build-up of creosote. Annual inspection and cleaning help keep the creosote build-up in your chimney low.
Improves operation and efficiency – chimneys do two things at the same time: they vent and expel combustion byproducts and they help bring oxygen to the fire; when your chimney is dirty, it can’t do these two things properly.

There’s a lot of “rule of thumb” kind of information around about chimney inspection and cleaning, but many of these pieces of advice aren’t correct.

If you have questions about how to maintain your chimney in Roseville, MN, call the people you can trust: 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Roseville MN
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