Ways to Extend the Life of Your Chimney
Unfortunately, a chimney won’t last forever; however, if you follow proper maintenance steps, you can prolong the life of your chimney and keep it repair-free. Although chimneys are durable and meant to last a lifetime, water leaks, creosote build-up, and damaged liners can lead to expensive repair work and even, in the worst case scenario of water penetration damage, structural damage that causes your chimney to collapse. At Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County, we provide all of the maintenance help you need to extend the life of your chimney; our certified experts can do everything on this list of ways to prolong your chimney’s life.
Do you have questions about the steps you can take to extend the life of your chimney? Call us today.
- schedule an annual chimney sweep and inspection The most important step on your chimney maintenance list, the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends you have your chimney professionally swept and inspected every year. Your chimney sweeping is vitally important to remove soot, debris, and especially creosote deposits. A dangerous compound that results naturally during the condensation process as smoke exits your chimney, a large creosote build-up can cause a chimney fire as it is highly combustible. The CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County are experienced with removing creosote deposits, along with all the other debris in your chimney. Annual chimney inspections are equally as important as the entire exterior of your chimney is closely examined with our technicians looking for signs of water leaks and possible damage like loose bricks and cracked mortar.
- reline your chimney If you have a damaged chimney flue liner, all sorts of problems can occur: water leak damage causing expensive repairs, smoke and dangerous toxins leaking into your house, and poor performance issues. Having your chimney relined by a professional like Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County will definitely extend the life of your chimney. We install top-quality stainless steel liners with a lifetime warranty and will repair your liner whenever there is a problem.
- install a new chimney cap Think of a chimney cap as the roof of your chimney. It keeps water, debris, and animals from entering your chimney. At Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County, our technicians will fit a chimney cap perfectly to your chimney, ensuring nothing will get through it, extending the life of your chimney. Our customize chimney caps are available in stainless steel and copper, and if your cap is installed by one of our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps, your cap is covered by a manufacture’s warranty.
- waterproofing Water is your chimney’s biggest enemy because when it gets into the bricks and mortar, it can cause extensive and expensive damage as well as mold growth. Besides a chimney cap, the best way to protect your chimney from water penetration is to have the professionals at Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County apply a waterproofing treatment. We use ChimneySaver Water Repellent, that not only protects the surface but also penetrates deeply into the masonry, saving it from destructive water penetration while still allowing the bricks to “breathe” out vapors, prolonging the life of your chimney.
Get started on your chimney maintenance to extend its life and contact Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County for any of these services today. Our qualified and certified staff is here to help you extend the life of your chimney.