2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.

What Sets Professional Chimney Sweeps Apart

September 25th, 2023

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If you have a fireplace in your home, you’ll need to have it routinely cleaned. This is an essential job because it helps keep the chimney working both effectively and safely. Allowing too much buildup to develop in a chimney will lead to bad venting and fire hazards.

But when it’s time for chimney cleaning in Bloomington, MN, who do you hire for the job? You have several options, but only one is the correct on:

Get out some drop cloths, put on an old T-shirt, grab a broom and a ladder, and do it yourself.
Find someone offering super-low prices to do the job.
Hire professional chimney sweeps with proper certification.

The correct answer is “C.” We’ll explain why professional chimney sweeps stand apart from DIY and amateurs. Why they are the only people to consider hiring for your regular chimney and fireplace cleaning needs.

Do I Need a Chimney Inspection If I Rarely Use My Fireplace?

September 11th, 2023

Although fireplaces are wonderful luxuries to have in a home, there are some cases where people simply don’t use them often. Maybe they use them for a few special occasions, but otherwise the fireplace remains cold through most of the year.

Does this mean that regular inspections and maintenance for the chimney are optional? Why invest in professional inspection service if there’s rarely any fire burning in the hearth or smoke wafting up the chimney?

If you’re in a situation where you have a fireplace that you use sparingly, we want to encourage you to still regularly arrange for professional inspections. We’ll explain why below.

Animals That Can Get in Your Chimney

August 28th, 2023

Chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN is a job we recommend homeowners have scheduled regularly, especially for wood-burning fireplaces that leave behind creosote. But creosote isn’t the only reason you may need to have chimney cleaning: animals often get inside chimneys to nest.

Animals will not only create blockages, they can also be dangerous—and removing them often must be left to expert chimney cleaners. We have a lot of experience with the types of critters that like to set up homes inside Minnesota chimneys. Here are the most common ones that might choose your chimney for a temporary home.

Can I Do My Own Chimney Cleaning?

August 14th, 2023

On this site, we emphasize the importance of having regular chimney and chimney flue cleaning in Minneapolis, MN. We recommend a yearly cleaning along with a Level 1 chimney inspection to ensure the chimney is free of buildup of creosote and anything that may block it, and to check for possible damage and wear that needs repairs.

But are professionals like ours really necessary? You might wonder if you can clean the chimney yourself. Maybe you can find an online video tutorial. With a face mask, a set of old clothes, tarps on the ground, a few scrubbers on long handles, and a bit of elbow grease, you should be able to get the job done. Right…?

Although we encourage you to handle some chimney maintenance tasks on your own, the actual job of cleaning a chimney is something to leave to the professionals. We’ll explain why below.

Yes, Gas Fireplaces Need Regular Inspections

July 17th, 2023

We’ve often talked about the importance of having regular fireplace and chimney inspections for any home that has a fireplace. Standard Level 1 inspections make sure a chimney can vent properly and that there isn’t a potentially dangerous buildup of creosote that can lead to a fire.

However, we’ve often found that people who have gas fireplaces rather than wood-burning fireplaces think they don’t need these regular inspections. After all, gas fireplaces burn cleanly, without the concern of the buildup of creosote and soot, so why would they require routine inspections from professionals?

The answer is in the title: gas fireplaces absolutely need to have regular inspections. We’ll explain why a routine fireplace and chimney inspection in Plymouth, MN is necessary even if you aren’t burning wood logs in the fireplace.

Just What Is Chimney Sweeping?

July 3rd, 2023

Because people often have an old-fashioned image of soot-covered men with brooms in Victorian London in their mind when they hear “chimney sweeping,” they often dismiss this job as old-fashioned and unnecessary. But chimney sweeping is just another way of saying “chimney cleaning,” and this is absolutely something a chimney needs to receive on a regular basis.

We offer chimney sweeping in Plymouth, MN and throughout the Twin Cities, and we’d like to take this opportunity to give you a short primer on just what chimney sweeping is and why it’s important.

Signs That It’s Time to Schedule Chimney Cleaning

June 19th, 2023

There’s no season of the year that’s “best” for chimney cleaning—you can have it done at any time. However, you’ll find it easier to schedule during the warmer months when n you won’t miss the crackling warmth or coziness.

A much tougher question than “What season should I have my chimney cleaned?” is “When do I need my chimney cleaned?” We recommend a regular schedule for chimney cleaning, but you may find yourself in a situation where the chimney needs it as soon as possible. We’re the experts when it comes to chimney cleaning in Saint Paul, MN, and we’d like to guide you through the major signs to watch for that will tell you it’s time to call us to arrange for this important service.

Common Misunderstandings People Have About Chimney Sweeping

June 5th, 2023

Most people’s ideas of chimney sweeping come straight from Mary Poppins. That’s definitely a romantic image, and it does reflect something of what this job was like in the Victorian era, when combustion fires were used everywhere and had such efficiency problems that cleaning was an almost continual job.

Chimney sweeping is still necessary today for homes with fireplaces, but unfortunately most people have a limited understanding of the job, how it’s done, why it’s done, and when it needs to be done.

We’re long-time experts when it comes to chimney sweeping in Minneapolis, MN, and we’d like to go through some of the common misunderstandings people have about this job.

What Is a Level 3 Chimney Inspection and When Do I Need One?

May 22nd, 2023

In our previous blog, we discussed when you need a chimney inspection and the three different levels of inspection. These levels are established by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and are standardized to ensure that homeowners receive the inspections necessary for the situation and to protect their households.

When you’re looking to have a chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN, you’ll probably only need a Level 1 inspection, which is the standard inspection for a chimney that hasn’t experienced any major problems and is receiving regular use. It consists of inspections of all accessible parts of the chimney to look for cracks, creosote, and structural damage—anything that might trigger a repair need or a higher level of inspection.

In this post, we’re going to look at the highest level of inspection, Level 3, because people want to know more about how in-depth it goes and why it’s often necessary.

When to Get a Chimney Inspection

May 8th, 2023

Many important organizations, including the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Fire Protection Association recommend regular chimney inspections to protect homes and the people in them.

You can’t do a chimney inspection on your own. There are many parts you can’t see unless you have special access and equipment. When you decide to have a chimney inspection in Saint Paul, we’re the professionals to call on for the job.

But when should you have the job done? There are several situations where we recommend you schedule a chimney inspection.