Summer Chimney Sweep: Chimney Maintenance

Summer chimney sweep: chimney maintenance. The last thing on your mind during the sweltering summer months is probably your fireplace, but this warmer climate lends itself to the perfect time to sweep your chimney.  During the winter, while you use your fireplace or wood-burning stove to keep warm, creosote and soot are building up inside your chimney.  Once the weather warms, and you are no longer using your fireplace, birds and other small animals find chimneys to be the perfect place to make a home.  The combination of soot buildup and potential debris from weather or animals inside your chimney flue is the perfect combination for a fire.  

Prepare your chimney for the burning season with a summer chimney sweep. There are several key benefits to get your yearly chimney sweep in summer, and Brick + Ember Outfitters is here to help!

Chimney Maintenance

The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion.  During normal operation, a layer of soot, and creosote builds up on the inside of the chimney, restricting the flow. The creosote can also catch fire.  A chimney sweep is someone who clears ash and soot from the chimney’s flue by sweeping and removing the soot from within.  

Fire!

The only place you want to see a fire in your home is inside the fireplace. Soot and creosote buildup not only restrict airflow to your fireplace, making it more difficult for your fire to burn, but can cause a backdraft pushing smoke into your home, and worse yet, the soot and ash can catch fire.  If the soot or creosote does catch fire in the chimney flue, your entire home can burn down.  

Don’t Freeze

Chimney sweeps need the chimney to be cold in order to inspect, sweep, or repair it.  If you wait until the winter months to call for help, you will need to refrain from building a fire at least 24 hours prior to your chimney inspection.  Long, cold nights in the winter won’t be necessary if you plan accordingly and have your chimney swept during the summer. 

Cost

Regular maintenance on your chimney during the summer months can help you avoid costly repairs to damaged chimneys, roofs, or fireplaces in the winter.  Neglecting to have your chimney swept and inspected can lead to buildup that can start fires in your chimney, on your roof, and in your home. Smoke being pushed back into your home from a chimney with too much soot can cause irreversible damage to your furniture, walls, carpet, and clothes. 

Availability

The cold winter months are the busiest time of the year for chimney sweeps and technicians.  Waiting until winter to get your chimney swept or repaired can lead to longer wait times and fewer technician availability.  Waiting on an appointment can make sweeping your own chimney seem tempting, but this is very messy work and can be dangerous without all of the right equipment.  Scheduling regular summer inspections will allow your chimney technician to identify and fix any problems long before the cold winter months hit.

Safety

Chimney professionals can identify problems that most homeowners would miss.  If a chimney becomes obstructed, not only can it lead to a fire, but it can cause deadly carbon monoxide to enter the home instead of escaping out of the chimney. Without the proper training and equipment, sweeping the chimney and checking for chimney obstructions by climbing the roof can be very dangerous.  Make sure to have someone who is licensed and trained inspect your chimney. 

Inspections are vital in determining what service you need to have done to your chimney.  There are three types of inspections that can be performed:

1. Level one: This inspection is recommended for a chimney that is well maintained, typically with annual sweepings.

2. Level two: Recommended for new homeowners, or a home where there has been a recent change or damage to the chimney. This inspection ensures the chimney is working properly and that there is no obvious damage.

3. Level three: Recommended for chimneys with visible or obvious damage. This level of inspection requires a skilled technician in order to identify issues that are not obvious or visible. This level of service can be used to identify previous flue-fire and water damage.

Brick + Ember Outfitters Indianapolis

At Brick + Ember Outfitters Indianapolis, we can ensure that all of our technicians are certified and trained to not only provide the most skilled work but the best customer service as well. Each of our technicians is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, or CSIA, and has worked on the many unique types of chimneys and fireplaces. 

We take professionalism to the next level here at Brick + Ember Outfitters by assuring our customer’s safety and trust.  Our technicians will come to your home in a Brick + Ember Outfitters branded car and have identification on them every time so there’s no guesswork as to who’s entering your home.  

Request an appointment with one of our CSIA certified technicians today!