17. How often should I have my chimney cleaned?

1. There is no steadfast rule on the frequency of a chimney cleaning. It can vary from once a month to once every ten years depending on a variety of factors. On the other hand, an annual inspection of all chimneys by a Professional Chimney Sweep is extremely important. Let us consider both cleanings and inspections at length. 

First, frequency of cleaning will depend on:

1. How often you use your fireplace. Obviously, persons who use their fireplace only occasionally for coziness are not going to have to clean their flues as often as persons who use their systems constantly throughout the season do.

2. The type of wood or coal you use. Freshly-cut softwoods usually build up creosote more quickly than well-seasoned hardwoods. In addition anthracite coal burns more cleanly than bituminous (but bituminous is more plentiful). Whether you have a stove or fireplace insert. They usually require attention much more often than an open fireplace. Also, the way you operate your stove or fireplace can and will have an effect on the amount of creosote you accumulate.

3. The severity of the burning season and your geographic location. Understandably, the burning season will be different in the Pacific Northwest than in, say the Deep South.

4. The location of your chimney in your home. Even this - plus the type of chimney construction you have - can have a great influence on how quickly creosote builds up and how often cleaning may be necessary.

As you can see, the number of factors which influence your chimney's cleaning schedule are many. 

17. How often should I have my chimney inspected?

1. All chimneys - yes, (wood, coal, oil and gas) should be thoroughly inspected once a year by a chimney sweep. Never assume your chimney is safe even if you seldom or never use it. There is a whole host of problems that could cause an unsafe chimney or fireplace.
   
   These problems could include:

• Cracks or Crevices Caused by Builder Negligence
• Normal Settling of the Chimney
• Lightning Strikes
• Excessive Use
• Moisture Damage
• Nests and Other Obstruct ions...

17. Why does my chimney need a cover?

1. Have you ever heard of the inside of someone's home being "trashed" by an errant bird or squirrel? Or dampers rusting out of fireplaces? Or the mortar in chimneys being slowly eaten away? The damage caused in any of these cases can be quite expensive to repair, as well as inconvenient. The simple installation of a chimney cap can prevent tragedies such as these.

17. What causes the mortar around my chimney to need replacement?

1. Rainwater that gets in your chimney mixes with the ash in the flue, to form corrosive lye. This eats away at the mortar and at the metal of the damper, shortening the useful life of both. Maybe you have noticed your damper is rusty or hard to open or you have found puddles in your fireplace. Both are signs that you need a cap. If the damper pins or casing rust out, it can cost anywhere from $300 to $600 to have the old casing ripped out and a new one installed. On heatilator type fireplaces, the dampers are virtually impossible to replace. And, of course, if the mortar in a masonry chimney goes, the cost of repair or replacement is quite high.

17. Will a chimney cap prevent animals from "moving into" my chimney?

1. Birds, squirrels, and raccoons - all of them consider chimneys the ideal place to safely raise a family...or enter a house easily. When they nest, they bring fleas, ticks and other messes with them. If they enter a house, they often panic - wrecking furnishings as they try to escape. Some smart raccoons, of course, find the chimney the perfect "gateway" to the kitchen, tracking sooty paw prints all over everything as they trek back and forth to the pantry. Cute? Maybe. Destructive? Definitely.

Don't wait until the raccoon's nest in your chimney this Spring.  We'd be delighted to show you the caps we have to offer. You can usually save money if you get a chimney cap at the same time your chimney is swept or inspected.

17. What should I know before buying a new chimney cap?

1. Chimney caps or covers are made in various styles with different materials - ranging from heavy pieces of slate placed on "columns" at the flue top, to painted metal or aluminum caps that attach to the chimney liner. What you should look for in a chimney cap is one that will keep out rain and animals, but that can be easily removed for chimney inspection and maintenance.

The list goes on and on. In conclusion, consider the following: when an insurance company insures your property, it does not do so because you are going to have a problem, but because possibly you could have a problem. When we inspect a chimney and fireplace, they, and you, hope they will not find any problems. But if there are any there, you certainly want to know about it. Our complete and thorough chimney inspection will include include rooftop, attic, firebox and foundation inspections.