A chimney fire is a serious problem that you might not realize you’ve had or are having until it’s too late. Even if the fire happened in the past, the damage done to your chimney might affect its structural integrity as well as its functionality. Learn about the common signs of a chimney fire to keep your family and home safe — and when to contact emergency chimney repair professionals.
Creosote is a highly flammable black or brown residue that accumulates inside a fireplace and chimney due to the burning wood. Creosote can be hard, sticky, drippy, rusty, or fluky depending on several factors, including the wood type and stage of buildup. All forms of creosote pose severe dangers to a home due to their highly flammable nature. Leaving creosote to build up in your chimney and fireplace substantially raises the risk of fires within.
In the winter, during frequent use, your chimney may not be the most attractive place for an animal to nest, but during the summer months, when you are seldom lighting a fire, a tiny critter may sneak into your chimney for refuge and never leave. If you notice any sounds of squawking, screeching, or wings flapping, you may have an animal trapped in your chimney.
It’s no secret that your chimney doesn’t get much use in the warmer months; this is true for nearly all chimney owners. However, a few problems can occur during the chimney “off-season,” and it’s always important to remain proactive and aware of issues that may arise.
A chimney plays a vital role in keeping your home warm during the winter months. However, a chimney can crack over time due to various reasons. Cracks in a chimney can get worse over an extended period and pose significant dangers. A cracked chimney can eventually collapse, or it may not function properly while heating your home. Contacting professionals to inspect your chimney is essential to staying safe against these potential dangers.
Having a fireplace can undoubtedly improve the look and feel of your home. Fires can provide natural and cozy warmth that will boost your home’s welcoming atmosphere. To keep your fireplace working efficiently and your family safe, you need to maintain your wood-burning fireplace. Here are some tips to follow:
Most chimneys will last well over 50 years before they need replacing. What causes premature deterioration of chimneys is not the bricks, but the mortar holding together bricks. Less durable than cement or concrete, mortar consists of pulverized sand, water, lime, and cement. Unlike brick, mortar is susceptible to environmental damage over the years. Seasonal temperature changes, rain, snow, and ice causes the expansion and retraction of mortar. Eventually, mortar loses its ability to hold bricks together, becoming crumbly and cracked. If old chimney mortar is not removed and replaced with new mortar, the chimney bricks themselves could start cracking and breaking.
Summer is here, and we’re excited about getting outside and enjoying the warm weather! As you resume your favorite seasonal activities, it’s imperative to stay on top of elements of your home that may slip your mind as the weather gets hot — like your chimney. Even though you may not gather huddle up by the fire during the summer, you should still take care of certain chimney and fireplace maintenance tasks to ensure the system is ready to fire up again come autumn:
If you have a chimney in your home, then you probably understand its importance. A chimney allows smoke and toxic gases from your fireplace, furnace, or stove to escape from your home safely. You may also know that Atlantic County chimney liners require regular maintenance to keep them working optimally and ensure that they last a long time. An intact chimney liner is an essential part of this maintenance process.
With spring right around the corner, we can finally look forward to getting outside, being active, and breaking our cabin fever. While the onset of warm weather brings out joys such as sunshine, outdoor recreational activities, April showers, and cookouts, there exists a task that’s on top of most homeowners’ to-do list — spring cleaning! Soon we’ll be turning our heat off entirely and opening some windows, and most won’t even think about the fireplace until the fall when the chilly weather returns.
