2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘chimney cleaning’

Reasons To Get a Chimney Inspection Before the Minneapolis Heating Season

Monday, September 24th, 2012

The Minneapolis heating season is almost upon us and that means you need to start thinking of some of the basic maintenance tasks needed before you start using your heating equipment. This is especially true for your chimney, which is responsible for removing the exhaust from your heating system and maintaining steady ventilation throughout your entire home.

Just how important is it to clean your chimney on a timely basis each year? To start, consider the purpose of the chimney. A chimney is designed to remove large volumes of exhaust which means there will be a natural build up of creosote and soot on the flue liner in your chimney. A little bit of build up is normal but when it builds up extensively, such as over the course of a long, cold winter, it can be a problem. At first, it simply slows the flow of exhaust out of the chimney which can put unnecessary stress on your heating system.

However, with time, enough creosote or other debris such as bird’s nests, pests and other debris that got into your chimney over the course of the summer months can create real hazards, potentially even fire hazards.

The Benefits of Annual Chimney Inspection

A chimney inspection will do a few things. First, it ensures all of the creosote and soot build up is removed from your chimney before your heating system is turned on for the first time. Second it checks for damage done as a result of normal operation and any extreme weather since last spring. Finally, it removes other debris that could have built up in there between winters.

Chimney inspection and cleaning needs to be a normal part of your home’s heating maintenance. It is an important preventive step against potential problems and it ensures your chimney works efficiently throughout the coming heating season.

If your chimney has not been inspected in a couple years, contact 2nd Generation Chimneys of Minneapolis for a professional chimney inspection today.

Tags: Andover, Blaine, chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection, Chimney Maintenance, Minneapolis
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Ways You Can Make Your Chimney Pollute Less

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Contributed by High’s Chimney Service, a 30+ year old Washington DC chimney repair and service company.

It’s no secret that you create pollution when you burn something. Wood is no exception to this rule. Most people would be surprised to learn just how much you can reduce your pollution when you use your fireplace with a few simple tips.

1. Know your Enemy

First, it is helpful to know about the air pollutants you should be concerned with. Particulate matter is the fine particles left behind when something is burned; it is the equivalent of soot. When airborne, particulate matter is often visible as dark smoke and contributes to respiratory conditions. Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas that results when there is not enough oxygen to produce a complete burn. There are other harmful gasses that might result when you burn contaminated fuel — volatile organic compound (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides are particularly notable.

2. Only clean, natural firewood is firewood

Not all wood should be considered firewood, and only firewood should be burned (other than your kindling). This excludes things like:

painted or stained wood (which will release VOCs)
pallets (which are treated with chemicals that typically contain formaldehyde and arsenic.)
wood with glue on it
driftwood (the chlorine from the salt causes carcinogenic gasses)
wood with heavy pesticides
moldy, rotten, or diseased wood
any treated wood
cardboard
glossy paper or paper with colored ink (magazines are a no-no; black and white newspaper is ok)
any trash, including Styrofoam, plastic, and rubber

3. Only Use Seasoned firewood

Seasoning, or curing, wood means leaving the wood to dry properly for at least 6 months. The reason you want seasoned firewood is that it will burn much more efficiently. Wet wood produces a lot of smoke, and you want to avoid that.

4. Burn hot, but smart

A hot fire burns the wood efficiently. The most smoke is produced when a fire is starting and when it smolders, because these times are when the fire is cool. Try to start the fire quickly. And never let a fire smolder, especially overnight (that’s just asking for trouble). A decent-sized fire is recommended, because a small fire won’t get hot, but a very large fire may get wild and dangerous.

5. Get your Chimney Inspected Regularly

There are many chimney problems that can affect the environment inside and outside of your home. For example, chimneys with cracks, leaks, or inadequate liners can have inefficiencies and will not keep the fire as hot. An inefficient fire system wastes energy, which means more fuel needs to be burned, which means more pollution. Chimneys might also have air flow issues, which can be caused by improper venting, creosote buildup, or other problems. Lack of proper air flow can prevent complete combustion, resulting in inefficiencies and possibly even carbon monoxide. There really are too many problems here for average homeowners to check themselves.

Reducing the pollution coming from your chimney is actually pretty simple. In addition to helping the environment, these tips can help keep your family safer and save you money in firewood and chimney repair and maintenance costs.

Tags: chimney, chimney cleaning, Guest Post
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Why Do You Need To Have Your Chimney Flue Cleaned?

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Having your chimney flue cleaned is important to the health and safety of your family. 2nd Generation Chimneys is a Minneapolis chimney company that provides thorough chimney flue cleaning, call us today if you need to schedule an appointment!

The Importance of Having Your Chimney Flue Cleaned

When a fireplace or wood stove is used, smoke goes up the chimney where it finally reaches the outside air. Creosote forms when wood is burned incompletely, or when it is a smoky fire without enough oxygen that causes black smoke to go up the chimney. During this process the smoke often leaves behind creosote, a dark brown or black tar-like substance that gets deposited on the walls of the chimney.

Creosote can be a fire hazard if too much of it builds up on the inside walls of the chimney.

There are a few kinds of creosote that have differing degrees of stickiness and are each harder to remove than the previous one:

Soot that is feather-light and dull gray, brown or black in color that is easy to remove
Granular black accumulation that is still fairly easy to remove with a stiff chimney brush
Tar-like black coating that is very hard to remove, even with scrapers and power rotary whips
Shiny black coating that looks like the inside of the chimney has been glazed over and is nearly impossible to remove

Generally speaking creosote buildup happens during wood burning. While gas fireplaces burn cleaner, they do let off a lot more moisture which can cause other kinds of build-up to occur. Additional types of debris that can clog the chimney flue are droppings from animals, nesting of birds, and debris from the presence of insects. The best way to prevent animals from nesting in the chimney is to have a chimney-top screen.

Having a professional chimney sweep in Minneapolis such as those at 2^nd Generation Chimneys perform your chimney flue cleaning will ensure that not only is it properly cleaned, but that any venting problems or chimney deterioration are identified, as well as any cracks in the liner are found and fixed, and that where applicable new liners are installed.

Tags: Chaska, chimney, chimney cleaning, Chimney Flue Cleaning, chimney sweep, Minneapolis, Mound, Wright County
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New Home Chimney Cleaning and Inspection in Minneapolis

Monday, July 30th, 2012

It is essential to have a chimney inspection and chimney cleaning performed when you purchase a new home. You can never know exactly how the chimney and fireplace were maintained by the previous owner, and as such ensuring it is properly ventilated with a correctly functioning liner and flu is essential to making certain you remain free from fire hazards associated with improper chimney maintenance. 2nd Generation Chimneys is a professional chimney company in Minneapolis that performs these vital chimney services such as chimney inspection and chimney cleaning. Let us help you and your family stay safe in your new home before you use your new chimney for the first time.

Chimney Inspection and Chimney Cleaning in New Homes

New homes can come with all sorts of unseen problems which a home inspection will normally uncover. This way you are aware of the potentials prior to purchasing the home. That is why it is important to make certain you schedule a new home chimney inspection and chimney cleaning with a chimney company such as 2^nd Generation Chimneys prior to using your new chimney at all. This way you will ensure you have a clean chimney that is free from creosote buildup which is a major cause of chimney fires, free of soot which restricts airflow, and free of debris which can come from outside.

During the chimney inspection any deposits will be swept, a visual inspection of the fireplace and chimney itself will be performed to identify any construction defects which have occurred, as well as an internal inspection of the chimney with video inspection to ensure correct chimney cleaning has occurred and to look for other issues.

Professional Chimney Company

It is important to hire a professional chimney company in Minneapolis such as 2nd Generation Chimneys that performs regular chimney inspections and chimney cleanings for new homes as well as chimney maintenance services. Contact 2nd Generation Chimneys and receive quality Minneapolis chimney services for your new home!

Tags: chimney, chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection, Elk River, Lake Elmo, Minneapolis
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Minneapolis Chimney Sweep Q/A: Why Do I Need Chimney Cleaning if I Have a Pellet Stove?

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Using alternative fuel sources for heat is becoming more and more popular in Minneapolis. Sometimes, though, people get misconceptions in their head when switching over to a different fuel source. If you’ve ever used wood to heat your home with a fireplace before then you hopefully know about the importance of chimney cleaning. Don’t think that just because wood pellets are advertised as “clean burning” that you don’t still need to maintain a clean, safe chimney.

Wood pellets are a clean burning source of heat. They consequently create less creosote than burning wood logs in your fireplace or in a wood burning stove. However, the chimney and flue utilized by these stoves still require professional cleaning, not only to work efficiently but to work safely. Don’t take any chances when heating your Minneapolis home with pellet stoves.

Wood stoves rely on the principle of chimney draft in order to operate. Pellet stoves, on the other hand, require a specially sealed exhaust pipe in or to work properly. This prevents exhaust from spilling out into your living space. A combustion blower within pellet stoves creates air pressure, in turn creating a need for double walled ventilation with a stainless steel interior. Thanks to this forced exhaust system, pellet stoves do not require a vertical rise in order to properly vent. They can be vented horizontally, straight through the wall of your living space.

If you do have a preexisting chimney you can choose to vent through that as well, but you will need a correctly sized stainless steel liner for your chimney in order to ensure proper drafting of the exhaust. This will prevent a drop in pressure cause by an oversized flue, allowing smoke to condense within the chimney and adversely affecting the performance of your stove.

However you choose to vent your pellet stove, whether through horizontal piping or straight up your fireplace’s chimney, it is important that you take all the right steps to ensure proper operation and safety. This includes using the right equipment and flue liners. It also includes professional Minneapolis chimney service. Remember, clean burning does not mean creosote free. Call 2^nd Generation Chimney now with any questions you may have.

Tags: chimney cleaning, chimney sweeping, Lake Elmo, Minneapolis, Pellet Stove, Twin Cities, Wayzata
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Minneapolis Chimney Guide: Professional Chimney Cleaning Steps

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

There are few things as comforting on a cold night as a crackling fire in your living room. No matter how much or how little you use your fireplace it is important to have your chimney cleaned annually. When it comes to cleaning your chimney the only way to ensure that it is safe and structurally sound is to call a Minneapolis chimney cleaning professional. Anyone can sweep the soot out of a chimney, but a professional chimney sweep provides much more service than that. Here is some information about the professional chimney cleaning process.

A professional chimney sweep starts by cleaning and inspecting the fireplace, moving upwards to the flu and chimney. The chimney sweep also inspects the chimney flashing and crown. The chimney flashing is the seal between the joints of your building and the chimney and the crown sits on top of the chimney, protecting the masonry from water and weather damage.

Once the fireplace is cleaned the damper is removed. This is the part of chimney is seals the opening when the fireplace is not in use. Its removal allows for brush access to the smoke shelf and chamber. The smoke chamber functions to reduce backdraft when smoke enters the flue, and the smoke shelf catches falling debris and rain water. It is vital that these areas be clean and unobstructed.

Once the area is cleared it is time to begin the actual sweeping of the chimney. Most professionals will skip the handheld brush for one mounted on a heavy duty drill. This allows for a much more thorough scraping and cleaning of the built up creosote than simply feeding a brush through by hand. Once the brushing is done the crew will vacuum up the mess, being sure to clear the smoke shelf of all debris.

Once the cleaning has been completed, your professional chimney sweep may feed video equipment through the damper opening. This will allow them to inspect the condition and integrity of the chimney flue and mortar joints. Most serious issues with chimneys are discovered during routine chimney sweeping. Video inspection allows for detection of water damage, missing or degraded mortar joints, black stains indicating smoke leakage and a slew of other possible issues.

Once a year, every year, have a Minneapolis chimney professional clean your chimney. If you have any questions regarding this information, the pros at 2^nd Generation Chimneys are willing, able and happy to provide answers.

Tags: chimney cleaning, chimney sweeping, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Ramsey, Sherburne County
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Minneapolis Chimney Sweep Q/A: Do I Need to Have My Chimney Cleaned if I Use Gas Logs?

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

In recent years, gas logs have grown in popularity. They allow you to have a comfortable, warm fire in your living room without having to deal with cutting cord after cord of wood to fuel it. However, there are some misconceptions about the maintenance needed to keep your Minneapolis chimney and gas log fireplace operational and safe, especially in the cleaning department.

Is Cleaning Necessary?

If you have a traditional chimney and are considering having a gas log fireplace installed or your existing fireplace retrofitted for gas logs, you will need to have a new flue liner installed and probably a number of other upgrades made.

Beyond the changes, you should have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis. While it is true that there is less soot and debris from a straight gas fire that produces a blue flame, most gas logs are designed to burn yellow to simulate a real fire. A yellow flame is not as hot and therefore does not burn as completely as a blue flame.

For this reason, the fire produces gasses such a carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide as well as soot. Those gasses and soot will build up in your chimney over time and just like a traditional chimney, will soon require cleaning by a Minneapolis chimney sweep.

If you opt for a blue flame gas log fireplace, you can have your chimney cleaned far less frequently, though it is still recommended to have periodic inspections to ensure the flue liner remains clean.

Keeping Your Home Safe

While gas logs produce less soot and debris than wood fireplaces, they still burn incomplete and produce enough components that you need to have someone inspect your fireplace on a semi-regular basis. Even if the need for cleaning is less or not as frequent, you’ll find yourself glad you did it, if nothing else, for the peace of mind.

If you have any questions about gas log fireplaces or chimney cleaning, give 2nd Generation Chimneys a call!

Tags: Cedar, chimney cleaning, Gas Logs, Maplewood, Ramsey, Sherburne County
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Handling All Of Your Chimney Needs, 2nd Generations Chimneys

Monday, February 6th, 2012

2nd Generation Chimneys is equipped to handle all of your chimney and maintenance and safety needs. 2nd Generation Chimney Service offers chimney cleaning, restoration, caps and dampers and chimney relining. Whether it’s woodstoves, fireplaces, chimneys, or dryer vents, we get the job done right! Give us a call at 612-922-9600 . We are Minnesota’s number 1 rated full service chimney company. To learn more about us visit www.2ndgenerationchimneys.com .

Tags: chimney cleaned, chimney cleaning, chimney cleaning services, chimney fire, chimney relining, chimney repair, chimney restoration Orono MN, chimney sweeping, restore chimneys, Twin Cities
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Recommended & Reliable Chimney Cleaning in Minnesota

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

2nd Generations Chimney’s is Minnesota’s most reliable source for chimney flue safety solutions. They are certified chimney specialists for all types and sizes of chimneys. They provide chimney inspections, sweeping, relining & restoration in Minnesota. They are the most trusted and recommended chimney service company servicing the Minnesota area. Professional, thorough and clean. Call them at 612-922-9600 and to learn more about all their services go online to www.2ndgenerationchimneys.com .

Tags: chimney, chimney cleaning, chimney cleaning services, chimney relining, chimney repair, chimney restoration Orono MN, restore chimneys
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Inspections and Cleanings Help Reduce Flue Fires

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Did you know annual chimney inspections and cleanings can greatly reduce flue fires? Dirty flues lead to chimney fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and possible loss of property and life. Many of these fires are caused from the ignition of creosote that builds up in the chimney with normal use of your fireplace. 2^nd Generations Chimneys is a complete chimney service company in Minnesota. Their services include relining, restoration, chimney caps and dampers and chimney cleaning. They lead the way for best service and products for residential, commercial and industrial building in the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Call them at 612-922-9600 and visit them online at www.2ndgenerationchimneys.com .

Tags: chimney cleaned, chimney cleaning, chimney relining, chimney repair, chimney restoration Orono MN, chimney sweep, restore chimneys, Twin Cities
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