The weather is getting nicer, and we know that many homeowners in the area are feeling energized and ready to deep clean their home. Well, here at Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County, we are here to help you out with that! Add some fireplace maintenance to your spring cleaning checklist by reading up on our tips below.
Schedule An Inspection
As you may be aware, the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Fire Protection Association recommends scheduling at least one chimney inspection per year for your furnace, wood stove or fireplace. Most homeowners wait until just before their burning/heating season begins to get this done, but we suggest crossing it off your to-do list earlier in the year. This ensures build-up won’t sit throughout the summer months, causing bad odors to invade and linger in your home, and if you need any repairs you can have any damages quickly addressed quickly, too.
Putting off necessary repairs can trigger bigger issues down the line and, more than likely, any cracks, holes, and crumbling will only get worse as time goes by. It’s much more affordable to pay for small repairs now than big, time-consuming repairs a few months from now.
Scheduling early also gives you the opportunity to find a time that works well with your schedule, as chimney technicians are generally more flexible during this time of year. If you wait until fall, you may have to delay the use of your home heating appliance for quite some time! Schedule now, so you can rest easy. When your friends and neighbors are scrambling to get their maintenance done this fall, you can relax knowing you had that taken care of months ago!
Address Any Leaks
If you have a leaky chimney, spring is the best time to invest in necessary fixes and repair jobs. Flashing issues, cracks in the crown, faulty chimney caps, and crumbling mortar can all contribute to leaks and water damage, and you’re most likely to note these types of issues after the winter season. You’ll also want to examine whether the freeze/thaw process has affected your masonry at all. Water damage contributes to rust, rot, stains, clogs, decay, and more, all of which you definitely want to avoid.
Our experienced and knowledgeable certified technicians can repair, replace, or rebuild any chimney parts that have been affected by excess moisture, then waterproof your system, so you won’t have to face these headaches again anytime soon. Warmer weather is perfect for waterproofing, so let us get you in early, so you don’t have to stress!
Keep Out Unwanted Guests
If you’re like most homeowners, your fireplace doesn’t see a lot of use during the warmer parts of the year. During these periods of time, birds, squirrels, and other woodland critters like to build nests and store items in your chimney, which causes clogs to form and deterioration to occur. Along with this, if the creature gets stuck and passes away, you’re inviting some nasty odors into your home, along with bugs and other pests.
If you invite us in this spring, we can ensure your chimney cap is in good shape and properly installed. Don’t have a chimney cap? Let us put one in! When it comes to taking care of your home and chimney, we’ve got you covered!