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

3 Reasons to Plan Chimney Cleaning in the Spring

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

Your fireplace can be an invaluable (and romantic) way of keeping warm in the cold of winter, and even those chilly spring days could benefit from a cozy fire in your home. But summer is definitely on the way, which means that your fireplace probably won’t see a lot of additional use until the fall. That means you should probably plan for a thorough chimney cleaning from a qualified professional. When it comes to chimney cleaning, St. Paul MN residents, and those throughout the Twin Cities have a reliable option to call upon. And frankly speaking, the sooner you can schedule a cleaning session the better.

3 Reasons to Schedule Chimney Cleaning in the Spring

  • The timing is right. We don’t need to tell you how cold it gets around here in the winter, which means your chimney has doubtless seen a lot of use. That means that creosote has probably built up along the sides of the chimney, along with other detritus such as bird’s nests and the like. Now that you’re not using it as often, you can get all of that cleaned up immediately, which means you don’t have to worry about it when heating season comes around again next fall. Your chimney will be clean and ready to go in September as soon as the air gets chilly.
  • Bigger problems. Similarly, if your chimney is experiencing more significant problems, such as crumbling masonry or a blockage in the shaft, then a cleaning session is an ideal way to spot it. You can then schedule a repair session and get it taken care of before you need your fireplace again.
  • You have maximum flexibility. If you wait until the fall, you may need to scramble to get the cleaning in on time. That means rearranging work, school and other parts of your busy schedule to handle it. Here in the spring, however, you have lots of time before you need the fireplace again, allowing you to find a cleaning date that fits your schedule rather than the other way around.

We have the tools you need to do the job right and our skill levels are second to none. Give us a call today!

For more reasons to plan chimney cleaning in the spring, or to schedule an appointment for chimney cleaning, St. Paul residents can call on 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.

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A Brief History of Chimney Sweeps

Friday, March 28th, 2014

The job title “chimney sweep” carries with it connotations both romantic and sooty. The first images that pop into people’s imagination when they hear the words “chimney sweeps” are either Mary Poppins or something close to the world of Charles Dickens. However, the chimney sweep in history goes farther back in time than Victorian London. This is an old profession, and a necessary one from the days of the first chimneys up through today.

Chimney sweeps are still with us, and they may not be as soot-covered as before, but they’re still ready to keep your chimney clean and safe. You can find some of the finest chimney sweeps at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Call on us for fast and effective chimney inspection and chimney cleaning in Eden Prairie, MN.

The Chimney Sweep in History

The ancient Romans usually receive credit for the invention of what we would call a chimney. Since the Bronze Age, homes and palaces used large central hearths vented through a hole in the ceiling to heat rooms. But the Romans started to use fires in individual places of a dwelling that vented out a brick stack. Cleaning this was crucial to making sure the exhaust left the room and didn’t enter it, although there was not yet a single profession dedicated to the job.

It was during the 16th century in England that fireplaces with chimneys developed toward their modern versions, with fireplaces built in each room of a house to spread warmth more evenly. When the Crown levied a hearth tax in the 17th century on the number of chimneys in a house, homeowners would build complex tunnels systems of vents to all connect to single chimney. Coal also started to replace wood as the main fireplace fuel. Now homes were riddled with twisty channels choked with coal soot—and the task of keeping them clean was so large that a new profession arose to deal with it: the full-time chimney sweep.

This was an often hazardous occupation. Soot is dangerous for lungs, and the sweeps were frequently up in high places or required to squeeze up difficult narrow shafts. Orphaned children were often placed into indentured servitude as sweeps in exchange for food and lodging. (The term “light a fire under you” comes from a master threatening a frightened child sweep to continue to climb up a long chimney to complete the cleaning.)

In 1864, this abusive practice thankfully ended when Parliament passed a law to stop child labor as chimney sweeps. New inventions also allowed for much easier cleaning of chimneys.

Today in the U.S., chimney sweeps are highly specialized professionals certified to work to keep people’s fireplaces safe using the finest modern equipment.

For quality chimney cleaning in Eden Prairie, MN from a professional chimney cleaning service, contact the experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Give us a call today to schedule your next service appointment!

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Benefits of Chimney Sweeping

Friday, November 15th, 2013

Chimney sweeping evokes images of cockney street urchins, stovepipe hats and Dick Van Dyke. But the principles involved haven’t changed in 150 years, and while today’s chimney sweeps use modern equipment and techniques, the work they do isn’t all that different from those of their predecessors. Chimney sweeping in St. Paul is a particular necessity, owing to our numerous older homes with fine brick fireplaces.

The benefits of chimney sweeping are numerous and obvious.

  • Safety. Smoke from your fireplace carries creosote into the chimney, which can coat the walls and ultimately become a fire hazard (it will ignite very easily). Creosote build-up can also prevent carbon monoxide from escaping your home, constituting another hazard.
  • Comfort. Build up inside the chimney can prevent smoke from escaping as quickly as it should, meaning that more of it could back up into your home. Clean chimneys also improve the amount of heat your fireplace projects into your home, making it more efficient as well as comfortable.
  • Longevity. Over time, the acidic qualities of soot and other debris can damage your chimney, forcing expensive and unnecessary repairs. A regular cleaning session can prevent that damage and extend the life of your chimney.

A good chimney sweeper understands the benefits of chimney sweeping, but also knows who to deliver them safely and effectively. That means paying close attention to new methods and techniques. Qualified chimney sweeps are licensed, bonded and insured to protect against accidents. They also work with the cleanliness of your home in mind, and guarantee their work once it’s completed.

For chimney sweeping in St. Paul, the professionals at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. are ready to help. We’ve served the Twin Cities area since 2001 and offer complete programs for inspecting, installing and maintaining your chimney. We’re available 24 hours a day in the event of emergencies, and our trained experts have earned the trusted of over 52,000 loyal customers. If you understand the benefits of chimney sweeping and want to set up a regular maintenance session to help keep yours clean, pick up the phone and give us a call today.

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All I Know About Chimney Sweeping I Learned from Mary Poppins: What Else Should I Know?

Friday, November 8th, 2013

The romanticized image of the chimney sweep comes to us from the Disney movie Mary Poppins, where we learn that chimney sweeps are always coated from head to toe with soot, know fantastic dance moves, and say “guv’ner” at the end of every sentence. That’s all good to know if you live in a fantasy version of Victorian London. But if you live in contemporary Minnesota, you need to know the more practical side of keeping a chimney clean so you can enjoy it all through the winter in comfort and safety.

At 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. we have decades of experience with chimney sweeping in St. Paul, MN. When you want to go past thinking about getting your chimney cleaned and actually get it clean, contact us.

Here are some jobs that chimney sweeps—well, chimney technicians—perform that you won’t learn about from Disney movies:

Creosote cleaning

The black shiny substance that will start to cover the bricks of your chimney after burning wood and coal in the hearth is called creosote. Basically, it’s unburned wood or coal energy. It is highly combustible and poses a serious fire hazard to your home because it can cause flames to vault up the chimney to the upper floors of your home and the roof. Thick creosote (level 3 creosote) requires special equipment and techniques to remove. You need chimney technicians armed with more than brooms to take care of this problem.

Chimney flue cleaning

The flue serves an important safety and comfort function: it allows smoke from a fire to escape out the chimney when it’s open, and it keeps drafts from entering your home when closed. Damage and soot build-up can become a major issue for the flue, and so it’s one of the important components that technicians inspect when they come to clean your chimney.

Animal removal

Mary Poppins has some adorable animated animals in it: remember the penguins? However, you don’t want animals getting inside your chimney. Penguins shouldn’t be an issue, but birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons can create serious hazards. You don’t want to try to “smoke out” animals from your chimney (especially raccoons; this just makes them mad). Rely on technicians to do this job safely. You should also have the technicians install a chimney cap to help prevent this problem from returning in the future.

Here’s something else Mary Poppins won’t tell you: how often you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned. We recommend you schedule annual cleaning, even if you don’t use the fireplace often (cracks and animal infiltration can occur regardless of how much use the chimney gets). Contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. when you want quality chimney sweeping in St. Paul, MN. We can’t sing and dance as well as Dick Van Dyke, but you’ll have a clean and safe fireplace in your home after we leave.

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Some Benefits of Getting Chimney Inspection Services

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

“You only need your chimney inspected every five years or so. They’re very durable.”

You might have received this advice about your home’s chimneys—but don’t believe it. A chimney left without an annual inspection and sweeping services can pose problems for your home that range from serious annoyances to serious hazards. To keep your chimney a charming and cozy part of your house during the winter, you should schedule regular inspection and sweeping. We’ll go over some of the benefits you’ll receive from these inspection visits.

2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. offers three levels of sweeping and chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN to make it simple to find a plan that fits your chimney and budget.

Contact us today before the first winter logs go on the hearth.

Reduced fire hazard from creosote: Although a fireplace is designed to hold flames without causing danger, this safety will vanish if the chimney doesn’t receive regular inspection. Without routine checks and sweeping, your chimney will develop a dangerous build-up of creosote. Creosote is a black, shiny residue left over from burning logs. Creosote is extremely flammable, and if enough of it encrusts the inside of your chimney, it might only take a small spark to ignite it, leading to a fire that spreads into the upper floors of your home.

Stop animal infiltration: The cap on top of a chimney does the important task of preventing animals from entering. Birds in particular like to make nests inside chimneys, but rodents and raccoons frequently invade these spaces as well. Trying to “smoke out” these animals can backfire, so a regular inspection to keep the chimney cap intact against these nuisances is important.

Prevent structural collapse: You might imagine the solid construction materials of most chimneys will mean they have scant danger of falling apart. But mortar can crack, or the lining of your chimney wear away, and this can cause the chimney to collapse. Aside from the aesthetic problem this will cause, a collapsing chimney can allow smoke into other parts of the house, cause a toxic backflow from the fireplace, and create major fire hazards. Inspections will locate structural trouble and get it fixed.

Keep in mind that even though you associate a fireplace with pleasant family moments and cozy holiday charm, it still does the job of containing fire and can become a health hazard without the proper care. Keeping the chimney over your fireplace in good shape is key to fireplace safety, so make sure you sign up for chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN. 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. will help keep your fireplace a joyful part of your household.

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Chimney Inspection Horror Stories

Friday, October 18th, 2013

At 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc., we’re familiar with chimneys that haven’t gotten a proper inspection for many years and the troubles that can form in them. Even though a fireplace makes a wonderful and cozy addition to a home, people don’t like to think about the unseen interior of the chimney that vents the smoke to the outside, so they let those important inspections slide. However, a chimney that goes without any sort of inspection can develop serious issues, such as soot blockages and cracks in the masonry. And then there are issues that go beyond “serious” and enter the “horror story” realm. Here are two of them, both of which you can easily avoid in Eden Prairie, MN with chimney inspections being performed on a regular basis.

Raccoons: Bird nests are a common animal-related trouble you’ll find in chimneys with broken caps. Other creatures known to crawl into chimneys include rats and squirrels. But raccoons are the worst intruders of all. These masked bandits are extremely intelligent, persistent, and have infiltrated far into suburban areas where they have become territorial. They pose a major issue in Minnesota towns today. Raccoons will think uncapped chimneys are hollow trees and try to lair in them, and they are tough to remove. (Don’t try to smoke one out under any circumstances.) An annual inspection will make sure you have a raccoon-proof chimney.

Dangerous creosote build-up: Creosote is the residue left over from the burning of coal or wood. You will find this in any fireplace or chimney—but if you leave a chimney without inspection and cleaning for many years, this buildup can turn into a fire hazard. It will become worse if your chimney has poor airflow. Creosote is highly combustible, and if enough of it chokes up your chimney, a single spark might ignite a large fire that can spread to your roof. Far fewer homes would catch fire each year if people signed up for regular chimney inspections.

You may have heard that chimneys only need inspection every five years. This is a myth, and a potentially hazardous one. We recommend that your chimney receives an annual sweeping service which includes a full inspection to search for common—and uncommon—problems. 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. offers three levels of annual sweeping to fit your needs and budget. Don’t allow any of these horror stories to turn into your horror story: contact us today to sign up for a Eden Prairie, MN chimney inspection service.

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What Happens During a Chimney Cleaning?

Friday, October 11th, 2013

Soot and creosote can build up in your chimney over time. Not only do they interfere with your ability to enjoy your fireplace, but they can constitute a danger to your household. When it comes to chimney cleaning, Plymouth MN and other communities in the Twin Cities need a reliable service in order to make full use of their fireplaces during our long, cold winters. But what happens during a chimney cleaning? The specifics depend on the type of fireplace and the nature of the build-up or damage, though a few general steps are universal.

It starts with an inspection to determine the state of your chimney and note the specific levels of soot or creosote build-up. After that, the chimney sweep lays down tarp and other protective coverings to keep your home clean and safe during the cleaning process. From there, the cleaning can proceed in earnest, using one of three basic methods:

  • The rod method uses flexible rods with sweepers on the end. The chimney sweep brushes the interior sides of the chimney to clear off the build-up. The deeper he needs to go into the chimney, the more extensions he can add to the rods to extend them. The rod method can be applied “top down” from the roof or “bottom up” from the interior of the home, depending on what’s most effective.
  • The weight method applies heavy weights to the brushes, then lets gravity help do the scrubbing. The chimney sweep can raise or lower it using a system of pulleys.
  • The dual line method involves two chimney sweeps: one at the top of the chimney and one at the bottom. They push and pull on a line running the length of the chimney with a brush attached to scrub down the sides of the chimney.

The exact method depends on the type of chimney, the cleaning required, and the proclivities of the chimney sweep. When you need a chimney cleaning in Plymouth MN, we can help. 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. can explain what happens during a chimney cleaning, then clean yours with thoroughness and courtesy. Give us a call today to set up an appointment.

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When is the Best Time to Have My Chimney Inspected?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

A fireplace with a chimney carries an air of romanticism to it: summoning images of a warm and cozy home on a cold winter’s night. Fireplaces are efficient and atmospheric, as well as providing a way to heat your home without costing you an arm and a leg in monthly energy bills. But in order for a fireplace to do its job safely, you need to plan for regular inspections and occasional repair. We provide St. Paul chimney inspection services, so don’t hesitate to contact us when you find yourself asking, “When is the best time to have my chimney inspected?”

Here in St. Paul, every significant home improvement project depends on the weather. In the summer, we face warm temperatures, high humidity, and even thunderstorms and tornados. In the winter, the temperature drops well below freezing, making outdoor repairs difficult in the extreme. When it doesn’t see much use, a chimney can build up plenty of debris such as leaves and birds’ nests, while existing damage can go undetected since you aren’t likely to use the fireplace in the muggy heat of summer.

At the same time, winter makes outdoor repair work extremely difficult, both in terms of its effects on the repair personnel and on the chimney itself. Slippery roofs, icy surfaces and other conditions make such operations extremely hazardous, as well as increasing the possibility of further damage to your chimney.

In light of all that, the best time to have your chimney inspected is the early autumn, when summer temperatures have diminished, but the first snows have not yet begun to fall. That gives the inspector time to perform a thorough examination, then schedule any repairs or upgrades well before you need to use the fireplace. It’s safer, it’s easier on the workmen and it usually results in a more effective repair session.

For St. Paul chimney inspections, it pays to consult the best. 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. can answer the question “When is the best time to have my chimney inspected?” then go about the task with professionalism and care. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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Why Isn’t My Fireplace Venting Smoke Properly?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

Fireplaces are a comforting part of any home, as well as savings providers on heating bills in the cold of winter. If you have a fireplace, it helps to have a trained expert come in for a regular chimney inspection. St. Paul, MN has too much snow and cold weather to chance a problem. In addition to regular maintenance, you should learn to spot signs of trouble when they appear, particularly if your fireplace isn’t venting smoke properly. There are numerous possible causes, many of which can be addressed by a trained professional.

Common Causes of Improperly Vented Fireplaces

  • Blocked flue. Soot and creosote can built up in your flue, as can leaves and other debris. Birds may make nests in it – especially in the summertime when you’re not using the fireplace – and bricks can come loose as well. All of that can partially or totally block your flue, preventing it from venting smoke properly.
  • Improper flue sizing or chimney height. Chimneys and flues need to be a certain size, depending on the size of the opening to the fireplace. If it was improperly measured during the chimney’s construction, you may experience smoke backing up into your house. Similarly, chimneys need to be a certain height in order to pull smoke upward: the difference in pressure between the top and the bottom of the shaft helps pull up smoke. If the chimney isn’t high enough, it won’t pull up any air.
  • A cold flue. Sometimes, if the flue is cold and hasn’t been used in a while, the air inside becomes dense, preventing smoke from rising. You can correct the problem with the addition of insulated liner within the chimney. (You can sometimes prime the flue by lighting balls of newspaper in the chimney, but in the cold of St. Paul, even that might not be enough.)

If your fireplace isn’t venting properly, contact the experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys for a chimney inspection. St. Paul and the whole of the Twin Cities are part of our regular service area, and we have the experience to address the problem properly.

Give us a call today! 

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What Is the Process for Restoring My Chimney?

Friday, August 30th, 2013

Does your fireplace no longer work as it once did? Do you find that your heated air does not effectively radiate into your living space, but escapes through the cracks in the chimney? Has your chimney been damaged by fire? There are various ways in which your chimney can be damaged over the years, whether by wear and tear or by fire and water damage. As an integral part of your fireplace, and therefore directly linked to the comfort of your home during the heating season, your chimney needs to be serviced by a professional. While routine fireplace maintenance tasks like chimney sweeping can be helpful, some problems are so severe as to warrant complete chimney restoration. The scale of this job depends on what the problems are, but we can find a unique solution for your home.

Call 2nd Generation Chimneys today for all of your masonry service needs in St. Paul.

Here are some aspects to consider when dealing with chimney restoration in St. Paul.

  • Crown. The crown or mortar cap as it also known is the top of the chimney that prevents water from seeping into the chimney over time and down into the firebox. It is critical to ensure that your crown is in good condition at all times. Whether yours has been damaged by fire or water, it can be detrimental to the integrity of your entire chimney, thus putting your home and your comfort at risk.
  • Mortar damage. The mortar is the material that holds your chimney together. Without it, your dry bricks would simply collapse and the chimney would not be properly sealed. While it tends to last a long time when professionally pointed, it will not last forever. Moisture, as well as fire, can both damage the condition of your mortar joints. When this occurs, your entire chimney is at risk. We can provide comprehensive inspection and repointing as well as sealing to prevent the wear and tear of water over time.

Let 2nd Generation Chimneys take care of your masonry services so that your fireplace and chimney are restored to full functionality and energy efficiency.

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