Before you know it, you will be lighting your first fire of the fall. Make sure your fireplace and chimney are ready by scheduling your annual chimney maintenance now! By preparing your fireplace and chimney for the cold-weather months now, you will avoid the fall chimney sweeping rush! That means you will be able to schedule your chimney services sooner and with more flexibility, and you won’t risk delaying your first fire because you haven’t prepared your chimney.
So what services should you be scheduling to make sure your chimney and fireplace are ready for the fall?
Chimney sweeping and inspection
An annual chimney sweeping and inspection is the cornerstone of chimney and fireplace safety. Your chimney should be swept and inspected by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep each year before your light your first fire. Your chimney sweep will remove any creosote that or debris clogging your chimney and serving as a fire hazard. Your sweep also will inspect your fireplace and chimney to ensure that all fireplace and chimney components are in place, damage free and in good working order.
Fireplace and chimney repairs
If you know your chimney is in need of repair, or if your chimney sweep locates any damage, faulty or missing fireplace or chimney parts, this is the best time to schedule repairs! By scheduling your repairs now, you will have your fireplace and chimney repaired and ready by the time cool weather strikes. Waiting until the fall for chimney repairs can pose other problems: Many chimney masonry repairs can’t be performed in cold or wet weather, so if you wait too long to schedule these repairs, they could be delayed or postponed due to inclement fall weather.
Upgrades
If you have considered a new fireplace, fireplace insert or heating stove, or if you know your chimney would benefit from a new damper or new chimney cap, schedule a consultation now! A chimney expert can help you find the fireplace or chimney part that’s right for you, and have it installed in time for the fire-burning season.
Waterproofing
The rain, sleet and snow that strike in fall and winter take a toll on your chimney. Your fireplace’s porous masonry absorbs all of that moisture, and when temperatures drop below freezing, the water held within your chimney bricks freezes and expands, causing the bricks and mortar or your chimney to crack and crumble. A waterproofing application can defend your chimney against the rain, snow and cold that will soon be upon us. Specialized chimney waterproofing applications keep water from soaking into your chimney’s masonry while still allowing your chimney’s masonry to “breathe” and exhaust gases and smoke from your fireplace.
If you still need to prepare your chimney for the fall, call Clean Sweep Anne Arundel County to schedule your appointment today! We can sweep and inspect your chimney, perform any needed repairs, help you plan and execute your upgrades and waterproof your chimney to protect it from rain, sleet and snow. Our chimney technicians will have your chimney ready for your first fire of the fall.