Many people in Minnesota have homes with classic masonry chimneys and wood-burning fireplaces that add charm and elegance to a home. Of course, these older fireplaces produce a lot of creosote, which means they need to be cleaned frequently. This is something most homeowners in our area know.
What some people do not realize, though, is that some gas heating appliances—including fireplaces, stoves, boilers, and furnaces—use the masonry chimney too, and that the chimney still requires just as much maintenance in these cases.
It’s the perfect time of year to light a fire and bask in the warmth and comfort a fireplace can provide. That is, of course, as long as your chimney is not a risk to your health and safety. However, many people don’t realize that problems within a chimney exist. Or, they may think that they can still use their chimneys despite the problems that exist.
A flickering flame and a warm, cozy living room are just about all you need as temperatures get colder and colder. Of course, this can only be achieved with a safe, functional fireplace in the home. If you’re in the market for a new one, we’ve got some ideas for you to start with.
As chimney sweeps and technicians, safety is our number one goal and priority. We help to prevent carbon monoxide and smoke from filling a home with our chimney and fireplace maintenance services. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent every possible circumstance that could put a home in danger. A crack in your furnace heat exchanger, a broken flue vent, or any other dangerous situation could cause a fire or gas leak you cannot predict.
Creosote is something we deal with every day as professional chimney sweeps and fireplace technicians. It’s likely in your fireplace and chimney right now. Just because it is common, though, that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Creosote makes a chimney dirty, but that doesn’t mean it’s just dirt. Learn all about this fuel-burning byproduct and why you want it out of your chimney ASAP in today’s guide. 
You often know when a furnace needs repair because it will not produce the right amount of heat. You know when it’s time to fix your car, as it may struggle to start up, or you could have trouble breaking. But when it comes to your home’s chimney, it can be a lot more difficult to tell. When it malfunctions, is it because it needs repair or because you’ve skipped a step while lighting the fire? And how will you know when the masonry is in dire need of some renovation?
Fireplace safety is always our #1 concern at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Before we help you upgrade your fireplace, we always advise you of any safety issues we see first and foremost, as all of our chimney sweeps are trained to do. We can detect hard-to-spot concerns such as a buildup of creosote, issues with the masonry, or signs of a previous fire that put you at a greater risk.
We’re sure interesting and unusual things happen on a daily basis at nearly every kind of job, but few are as surprising as what happens when a chimney sweep works. Some of the things found in chimneys by the average chimney sweep every day will seem unusual to many. Some of what a chimney sweep finds is incredibly dangerous, even though it happens every day.
You would definitely notice if there were a fire in your home, right?
Nothing compares to the warmth, tradition, and comfort of a wood-burning fireplace…or does it? While it was once the only fuel source option for fireplaces, most people know that fireplaces can run on all sorts of fuels these days. Electricity is one option—but one that can add up in terms of cost due to the high cost of using electricity to generate heat. That leads many to turn to an option already used to power most heaters: natural gas.