When you are moving into a new home, there may be a lot on your mind. You’re curious about the neighbors, the room sizes, or whether there’s enough space to grow a vegetable garden in the backyard. You might be concerned about renovating the kitchen or adding in efficient appliances, so you overlook the seemingly smaller parts of the house that deserve attention too.
2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Paul’
Don’t Move In without a Chimney Inspection
Monday, February 8th, 2016The Dangers of a Dryer Fire and How to Prevent One
Tuesday, January 19th, 2016It’s so surprising for many homeowners to learn that their dryers could lead to a potential home fire. In fact, thousands of fires begin as a result of poor dryer maintenance each and every year. Don’t let this home convenience cost you thousands of dollars in property damages, and don’t let it endanger your family members. Learn about the dangers of dryer vent fires and the importance of professional maintenance here.
Fixing Flashing: The Key to Many Chimney Leaks
Monday, January 11th, 2016If snow and rain are able to leak into your home, you’ve got some major issues on your hands. Not only is it costly to repair the water damage, but the issue can occur again and again if you don’t narrow down the source of the problem. One of the most common reasons for major roof leaks is poor sealing around the chimney, an area of sheet metal known as flashing.
Book a Chimney Sweep for the New Year
Monday, December 28th, 2015The New Year is a time to make plans to have fun, improve your health, save money, and live better. It’s the smallest details that make these New Year’s resolutions achievable, like taking the steps to protect your home and make it a safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable space. Schedule chimney cleaning with a qualified chimney sweep in the new year, and you’ll feel more comfortable using your fireplace with the knowledge that your home is safe from the possibility of chimney fires.
Fireplace Safety for the Holiday Season
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015Far too many accidents occur during the holiday season, a time that should be set aside to rejoice and celebrate. Setting up holiday lights and other decorations is a task responsible for a number of burns, shocks, and falls, but perhaps an even bigger risk to your well-being is when something goes wrong in the fireplace. Prevent fireplace hazards with our list of safety tips, and have a happy holiday season—from all of us here at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.!
Smoke from the Chimney: 5 Possible Reasons for Drafting Issues
Monday, December 7th, 2015A properly sized chimney is designed to pull air, smoke, and other byproducts up and away from the home. Unfortunately, homeowners often call us to complain about a chimney that sends smoke back into the home, either initially at startup or constantly as you attempt to use the fireplace. The source of the trouble can be a surprising number of issues, and we’ve listed a few of them here. If you’re having trouble with your chimney, be sure to contact your local chimney and fireplace experts.
The Significance of Chimney Dampers
Monday, October 6th, 2014When you’re getting ready to start a fire in your home’s hearth, what is one of the first things you should always check? You should see that the damper is open so the exhaust fumes from the fire will escape up through the flue and out of your home. (The damper is sometimes erroneously referred to as “the flue”; the flue is actually the opening that allows exhaust to escape, and the damper is what controls whether the flue is open or closed.)
The damper is an essential part of the efficient and safe operation of your home’s chimney. To make sure it continues to work well, you will occasionally need repairs and even a new chimney damper installation in St. Paul, MN. Technicians will locate damper problems during regular inspections, and should you encounter trouble with venting from the chimney or notice that the damper is failing to fully close or is stuck open, you must contact experts like those at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. right away. We offer many services to protect your chimney venting and interior, including cleaning, chimney liners, and services for the damper.
The job of the chimney damper
There are several kinds of chimney dampers. The primary damper is the one located near the hearth which you can manipulate by hand. This damper is important during cold weather since it blocks warm air from escaping up the chimney when there is no fire in the hearth. Heat rises, making the chimney one of the easiest places for heat to escape from a home during the winter. The damper keeps your home energy-efficient, and only needs to open when you have a fire in the fireplace.
The damper is also important for keeping out musty smells and moisture from your home. A top-sealing damper is also helpful for this job. In addition to aiding the control moisture, a top-sealing damper will help trap heat in your home and keep out rain and animals that sometimes try to nest inside chimneys. A qualified technician can install a top-sealing damper (which you can then operate easily from a handle placed down near the hearth).
Aside from chimney damper installation in St. Paul, MN and the surrounding areas, we also install chimney caps, screens, vent covers, and single flue rain covers to help keep your chimney protected and your home energy efficient.
If you need a new damper or repairs for your current one, make sure to call on 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. for the work. Call Us Today! 612.922.9600 or 1-888-PIXLEYS
When Would I Need a Level 3 Chimney Inspection?
Tuesday, August 5th, 2014A home fireplace is a source of both warmth and beauty for your household. However, the chimney of your fireplace requires routine maintenance and sweeping to keep it safe and properly venting the smoke, heat, and other exhaust. Regular maintenance from certified chimney sweeps involves chimney inspections that will see that your chimney does not have damage or blockages inside it that can lead to safety issues.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) handles the certification of chimney sweeps to perform these inspections. The CSIA categorizes the inspections into three levels. In most cases, a chimney will only require a standard Level 1 inspection to see that it is in good shape and not in need of relining, masonry repairs, or other services. But there are times with a chimney must have additional inspections.
Contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. when it is time for your annual chimney inspection in St. Paul, MN. We are fully certified with the CSIA for all three inspection levels, and we can provide any repairs you need to keep your fireplace and your home safe and cozy.
When the Level 3 inspection is necessary
Level 3 is the most extensive of the inspections, and most chimneys will not require one except in extreme cases. The Level 1 inspection covers the chimney basics and any examination that does not require tools to reach unexposed parts of the chimney interior. Level 2 inspections are needed when you make a change to your fireplace, such as switching to a new fuel source or relining the flue. Level 2 inspections are also appropriate when the chimney has suffered a fire or if a storm may have caused damage to it.
A Level 3 inspection is necessary when either a Level 1 or Level 2 inspection indicates that there are hidden problems in the chimney or that special tools are needed to reach concealed areas. These inspections may require accessing the chimney through construction material around it, such as tearing out drywall. In any situation where the certified inspectors suspect that there are potential serious safety hazards within the chimney, they will recommend a full Level 3 inspection.
When a Level 3 inspection is completed, the technicians will be able to tell you what work needs to be done to keep the fireplace safe. You should not use your fireplace until you have had the work completed and another inspection has checked that the chimney no longer presents immediate safety concerns.
Never trust chimney inspections to anyone who lacks CSIA certification. The issues of safety are too important for you to allow amateurs to work on your fireplace or its ventilation system.
Call on professionals like the trained and certified technicians at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. for your chimney inspection in St. Paul, MN.
3 Reasons to Plan Chimney Cleaning in the Spring
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014Your fireplace can be an invaluable (and romantic) way of keeping warm in the cold of winter, and even those chilly spring days could benefit from a cozy fire in your home. But summer is definitely on the way, which means that your fireplace probably won’t see a lot of additional use until the fall. That means you should probably plan for a thorough chimney cleaning from a qualified professional. When it comes to chimney cleaning, St. Paul MN residents, and those throughout the Twin Cities have a reliable option to call upon. And frankly speaking, the sooner you can schedule a cleaning session the better.
3 Reasons to Schedule Chimney Cleaning in the Spring
- The timing is right. We don’t need to tell you how cold it gets around here in the winter, which means your chimney has doubtless seen a lot of use. That means that creosote has probably built up along the sides of the chimney, along with other detritus such as bird’s nests and the like. Now that you’re not using it as often, you can get all of that cleaned up immediately, which means you don’t have to worry about it when heating season comes around again next fall. Your chimney will be clean and ready to go in September as soon as the air gets chilly.
- Bigger problems. Similarly, if your chimney is experiencing more significant problems, such as crumbling masonry or a blockage in the shaft, then a cleaning session is an ideal way to spot it. You can then schedule a repair session and get it taken care of before you need your fireplace again.
- You have maximum flexibility. If you wait until the fall, you may need to scramble to get the cleaning in on time. That means rearranging work, school and other parts of your busy schedule to handle it. Here in the spring, however, you have lots of time before you need the fireplace again, allowing you to find a cleaning date that fits your schedule rather than the other way around.
We have the tools you need to do the job right and our skill levels are second to none. Give us a call today!
For more reasons to plan chimney cleaning in the spring, or to schedule an appointment for chimney cleaning, St. Paul residents can call on 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.
Treat Creosote Build-Up This Spring
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014Creosote is a byproduct of regular fireplace use: a tarry, flammable substance that coats the interior of your chimney. It’s very natural and as long as you have your fireplace maintained regularly, you shouldn’t have any problems with it. Eventually, however, creosote will build up to sufficient levels to constitute a fire hazard, and even when it doesn’t, it can block the flow of air through your chimney, severely reducing the effectiveness of your fireplace. In terms of chimney repair, St. Paul MN has the experts to handle creosote build-up.
If you need to treat creosote build-up, don’t hesitate to give the fireplace maintenance experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys a call. You’ll be glad you did!
Why Spring is Ideal For Treating Creosote
It’s tough scheduling fireplace cleaning in the winter, because it means giving your fireplace a rest during the coldest parts of the year (as well as opening your home to the frigid temperatures outside). As spring blooms, you’ll have the luxury of scheduling a cleaning session at your convenience. It also makes a golden opportunity to clean up any creosote that has built up since last fall, making your fireplace clean, safe and ready to go when the next heating season rolls around.
Furthermore, spring is an easier time than others to tackle creosote problems. Temperatures are warmer and yet the mugginess of summer hasn’t set in yet. Treating creosote is fairly simple, though it requires specialized brushes provided by chimney sweeps a well as the training and experience to make sure the creosote is all cleaned up.
All of which is a round-about way of saying that you should probably treat creosote build-up every spring, not just when you really need it. And if you’re looking to address issues related to chimney repair, St. Paul MN has ready-to-go experts in the form of 2nd Generation Chimneys. We’ve been in business since 2001 and have built a strong and successful company based on the quality of our referrals. That means quality work performed for satisfied customers, whether it’s creosote removal or something more substantial.