A chimney is in an integral part of every home as it provides ventilation for smoke and flue gases that come from your fireplace or stove. Sometimes your water heater or furnace flue also ventilates through your chimney, but at times can be vented through a separate b vent flue or smaller chimney. Here are 5 reasons why it is important to regularly get your chimney cleaned and inspected:
1. Prevents chimney fires
Creosote, a type of combustion residue, is highly flammable and will build up on the inside of your fireplace chimney flue. Our chimney cleaning service providers can inspect and clean out your chimney to prevent chimney fires. We will send a certified chimney sweep in Richmond, VA or the northern VA area to help to safely service your home to keep you safe and warm.
2. Minimize carbon monoxide risks
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion and needs to be vented safely out the flue. If your chimney flue or boiler/furnace b vent has a blockage or defect, these dangerous gases can leak into your home. Call our Alexandria & Richmond chimney sweep professionals to come out and help with your annual chimney inspection to make sure that your family is protected from carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Elimination of odors
After using your fireplace for the winter, you should look into chimney cleaning services and schedule an appointment. If you wait until fall, then your chimney can often give off smoky or stinky odors during the warmer months of spring and summer. Our certified chimney sweep in Richmond VA and the Alexandria DC metro area can help you clean out your chimney to prevent these odors.
4. Increase the lifespan of your chimney
As your Alexandria and Richmond chimney sweep experts, we advise scheduling an annual chimney inspection to help catch unseen issues with your chimney. This is crucial because if flaws in your chimney are not quickly addressed, over time this can lead to expensive repairs. A good example of this is water penetration that freezes and thaws in a cycle that is very destructive to your chimney. Other chimney repairs like chimney spalling or loose mortar should also be quickly fixed.
5. Keep out the critters
It is important to have a certified chimney sweep come and inspection your chimney to make sure there aren’t any raccoons, squirrels or birds living or trapped inside. These animals can cause dangerous blockages that can hinder proper venting. Contact our certified chimney sweep today to inspect your chimney and install a chimney cap if you don’t already have one to keep out the critters.