Your fireplace should be something in your home that you can trust to provide an extra boost of warmth and comfort during the cooler months. What’s more, it adds a little extra something to your home visually even during the summer months. The only thing that can hinder the positive effect that your fireplace has on you and your home is when it becomes a source of danger to your health and safety.
As you probably guessed by now, the best way to keep your fireplace danger-free is to keep it clean and in good shape. You can do this by scheduling regular cleaning and fireplace repair in Minneapolis, MN. However, a lot of us are likely to hesitate to schedule these services without knowing they’re needed.
Thankfully we can help you determine when the time has come to reach out to your local professionals for cleaning, repairs, and more.
Why You Should Clean Your Fireplace
Professional fireplace cleaning should be done annually but you shouldn’t wait for this once-a-year appointment to clean it out. Cleaning your fireplace, especially if it is wood-burning, should be a regular occurrence. Here are some things to know about why you want to make sure you regularly clean your fireplace.
- Cleaning increases the efficiency of your fireplace. Ash can impede the ability of your solid fuel source (wood) from burning well, if at all. However, if you keep your fireplace clean and sweep out the ashes on a regular basis, the wood should have an easier time burning.
- Cleaning improves your safety. When you don’t clean your fireplace on a regular basis, this can lead to a build-up of creosote not just in your fireplace but in your chimney as well. Creosote is a flammable substance and, if allowed to build up enough, can cause a chimney fire. Regular fireplace cleaning avoids this fireplace hazard.
When You Need Fireplace Repair
While regular cleaning of your fireplace can help maintain a great operation of your fireplace and chimney, it won’t prevent the eventual repair need. As long as you address repairs needs quickly though, your fireplace should stay in good shape. In order to do this, however, you’ll want to know what to look for:
- Your home is getting smokey: If it seems like half of the smoke produced by your fireplace is going into your home rather than out of your chimney, you have a problem on your hands. Make sure the damper is open first. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, call a professional as you may have a broken damper, a flue that is incorrectly sized or another problem.
- You can see cracks in the fireplace: This might sound like something that adds “character” to your fireplace but we promise it isn’t worth it. When you notice visible cracks in your fireplace, you will need to contact a professional to asses the damage and make sure the right materials are used to fill in the cracks. This isn’t something that store-bought mortar can be used for.
Reach out to 2nd Generation Chimneys to schedule your fireplace services ASAP.