“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.