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

Top Reasons to Have a Fireplace in Your Home

Monday, December 18th, 2023

fireplace-at-Christmas-with-trees-and-stockings

It’s the holiday season, and that means you’ve probably seen a flood of images of people relaxing in rooms lit with the warm glow of a yuletide blaze in a fireplace. It’s one of the classic images of the winter holidays.

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “I’d really like that experience here in my home, and turning on a video fireplace from YouTube on the living room television screen just isn’t the same.”

We’re glad you showed up here, because we’re the experts when it comes to fireplace installation in Minneapolis, MN. We handle installing wood inserts, wood stoves, electric inserts, and electric fireplaces. We know what fireplaces can bring to a home, and here’s our list of the top reasons you should think about getting a fireplace.

Tags: Fireplace Installation, Minneapolis
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Here Are Risks You Need to Know About Your Chimney

Monday, December 4th, 2023

Using a fireplace in a home is one of the great joys of the winter season, and we’re certain you’re looking forward to spending time with your family around the roaring hearth. But before we get too deep into the fireplace season, we want to talk to you about some of the dangers that might lurk in your chimney.

Chimneys and fireplaces need special attention, and it’s our job to provide our customers with the best in chimney inspections and chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN to ensure they can stay safe and cozy each year.

Let’s look at several of the common issues that might make your chimney unsafe and the best ways to deal with them or prevent them.

Tags: chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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The Power of Spark Arrestors for Fireplaces

Monday, November 20th, 2023

Imagine a family gathered around the fireplace on a chilly evening. A stray spark flies out from the fireplace. Potentially, it can start a fire in the house. Or imagine sparks going up the chimney, flying out and landing on the roof, possibly starting the house on fire.

What can stop these scenarios from happening? They’re called spark arrestors, and when it comes to the safety of your home and the enjoyment of a warm fireplace, they play a crucial role.

There are two different types of spark arrestors: exterior and interior. The combination of these two kinds of spark arrestors creates a dynamic duo that helps to provide the best protection for your home and loved ones, stopping sparks from getting inside your house and stopping them from escaping the house.

Let’s look closer at both types of spark arrestors and their role in fireplace safety. We’ll examine their different features and how they work. If you’re looking for better fireplace safety and need spark arrestor installation in Minneapolis, MN, we’re the experienced contractor to trust with the job.

Tags: Fireplace Spark Arrestors, Minneapolis
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Do I Need a Chimney Inspection If I Rarely Use My Fireplace?

Monday, 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.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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Animals That Can Get in Your Chimney

Monday, 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.

Tags: animals in chimney, chimney cleaning, Minneapolis
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Can I Do My Own Chimney Cleaning?

Monday, 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.

Tags: chimney cleaning, Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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Yes, Gas Fireplaces Need Regular Inspections

Monday, 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.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Gas Fireplace, Minneapolis
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Common Misunderstandings People Have About Chimney Sweeping

Monday, 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.

Tags: chimney cleaning, Minneapolis
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What Is a Level 3 Chimney Inspection and When Do I Need One?

Monday, May 22nd, 2023

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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.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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When to Get a Chimney Inspection

Monday, 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.

Tags: Chimney Inspection, Minneapolis
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