Although fire-burning season is a long ways off, it’s never too early to schedule your annual chimney inspection and cleaning. When a cold New Hampshire winter hits, the freeze-thaw cycle hits in earnest, which could mean damage to your chimney. That’s not the only thing that happens to your chimney during a long winter of heavy fireplace usage. That’s also not the only reason that you need to give Ceaser Chimney Service, LLC a call to set up an early chimney inspection!
Creosote and Soot Buildup
One of the big things we’ll be looking for when we inspect your chimney is creosote buildup. Burning wood releases chemicals and smoke that leave your home through the chimney. However, when that smoke hits the cooler top of your chimney, it condenses onto the interior of your chimney into a flammable substance called creosote. As you use your fireplace more and more frequently, creosote will build up. Even an eighth of an inch of this substance can cause a disastrous chimney fire.
When most people think of a chimney fire, they think of a roaring, crackling inferno. The truth is most chimney fires happen without the owner even being aware that it has occurred. When we check out your chimney, we’ll be looking for signs that a chimney fire has occurred. One sign is cracks in the exterior masonry. It may also show up in the form of damage in your roofing materials, cracked and damaged flue tiles, or puffy looking creosote. If we see these signs, we will check for further structural damage and suggest any needed repairs.
Blockages
Another thing we’ll be looking for is blockages. In springtime, birds and other animals can use your chimney as the perfect spot to raise a family. When they leave, the nest stays, and these dried out nests can be a fire hazard if a stray spark or ember hits. We’ll take care of removing any blockages so that the risk of chimney fire is diminished.
What An Inspection Involves
There are three levels of chimney inspection. A level one inspection is the most basic type of inspection. We will take a general look at your chimney and look for creosote buildup or any blockages. If you’ve had inspections on a regular basis, this is the inspection we’ll do. In a level two inspection, we use video equipment to check the interior structure of the chimney as well as looking at the chimney cap, crown, flashing, and other parts. If we believe that serious damage exists, we’ll do a level three inspection. This could include some removal of walls to determine the extent of the damage and possible repair options.
Give Ceaser Chimney Service a call to set up your chimney inspection early, and rest assured that your chimney will be in great shape by the time autumn weather hits!