The Importance of Hiring the Right Chimney Sweep Company
Even though the industry’s lack of regulation has opened it up to scammers using ultra-low pricing as bait, a little research can help to ensure that the care of your fireplace is provided by qualified professionals. The importance of hiring the right chimney sweep is about far more than avoiding dealings with unscrupulous frauds, however. The health and safety of your family can be threatened by using a fireplace or heating stove if proper chimney care is neglected. Reasons are below to be sure you are hiring the right chimney sweep company, and in NY you can’t go wrong with the CSIA-certified experts at Felgemacher Masonry + Chimney.
Detect Chimney Blockage
Approximately 20,000 home fires that start in chimneys occur in the U.S. each year. Blockage is the cause, a situation that is usually undetected unless an annual chimney inspection is scheduled before a new winter season. What happens is that whatever is causing the chimney obstruction catches fire and ultimately spreads to the home.
The most common types of chimney obstructions are creosote buildup from wood fires and debris such as leaves and twigs or birds’ nests. If you don’t hire the right chimney sweep company, obstructions and other problems with your chimney may be ignored by so-called chimney sweeps who don’t know what they are doing or have needed equipment.
Prolong Your Chimney’s Lifespan
Masonry chimneys can last up to a century or more, but Chimney restoration or full replacement is often needed prematurely. Without ongoing maintenance, masonry chimneys are prone to collapse because of water intrusion. If moisture gets into bricks, freezing and thawing cycles of winter create movement that destroys them. The bricks eventually flatten, resulting in a leaning chimney that could collapse. Keeping up with masonry repairs prolongs the life of your chimney and reduces overall maintenance costs. Hiring the right chimney sweep company is essential because trained chimney sweeps can spot signs of moisture intrusion and tackle the issue early on.
Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure
The joys of solid fuel heating appliances are coupled with threats caused by combustion gases. Among the toxic fumes created by fires is carbon monoxide, known as “The Silent Killer.” Carbon monoxide is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. It is also symptomless until a person may be unable to escape. Chimney blockage that leads to home fires can also cause dangerous carbon monoxide exposure in the home.
Check on the Flue Liner
The chimney flue liner provides vital protection against both home fires and carbon monoxide exposure. If there is even a small breach in the liner, dangerous gases can leak into the living area of the home.
Also, a tiny crack is enough to cause pyrolysis, due to combustible materials being exposed to extreme heat. During the process of pyrolysis, combustible materials are altered so that they combust at significantly lower temperatures. Many sudden and devastating house fires have occurred because of pyrolysis. Qualified chimney pros have special video equipment used to carefully inspect flue liners from top to bottom.
There is no way to overstress the importance of hiring the right chimney sweep for chimney cleaning, chimney maintenance, chimney inspections, masonry repairs, and more.
In Rochester NY, Buffalo NY, and surrounding areas, call on the certified, experienced chimney sweep experts at Felgemacher Masonry + Chimney to ensure that it is safe to use your fireplace or heating stove. Call us at 585-308-4914 in Buffalo or 585-684-8691 in Rochester today.
