Fireplaces can be a great addition to the home and provide warmth, but the chimney needs to be maintained to reduce hazards. Lack of maintenance can cause problems like fire hazards, leaks, and damage to your home. The following chimney maintenance tips will help prevent leaks and dangerous problems with your fireplace and chimney.
1. Keeping Critters from Nesting in Your Chimney with Cleaning and Deterrents
The chimney of your fireplace is vulnerable to critters like birds and squirrels getting in and making nests. This is something that can cause a fire hazard.
When you have the pests removed during cleaning, you may also want to ask about deterrents to keep them out. Using a simple screen around the chimney cap can prevent damage caused by pests nesting in your chimney.
2. Routinely Inspecting Your Chimney for Leaks on The Roof That Lead to Serious Damage
The area where your chimney is most likely going to have leaks is at the roof, but it can also be areas where the chimney is attached to your home if it is on exterior walls. Regularly inspect the areas of your roof around the chimney for leaks to ensure that they are not causing water damage that can lead to problems.
3. Reduce Fire Hazards by Regularly Having the Chimney Cleaned to Remove Soot from Fires
If you use your fireplace throughout the year, the soot that builds up inside the chimney is highly flammable and can cause a fire hazard. Therefore, it is important to have your chimney cleaned every year to ensure that the buildup of soot does not cause fire hazards. In addition, avoid using firewood with high resin content like pine.
4. Inspecting Gas and Smoke Detectors and Checking Gas Lines for Gas Fireplaces or Starters
Whether you have a fireplace or woodburning stove, it is important that you have good smoke detectors installed in your home, which may also detect hazardous gases. Inspect them to make sure they have batteries, and press the test button to make sure they work. In addition, if you have a gas fireplace or starter, you will want to have the lines cleaned and inspected regularly.
These are some chimney maintenance tips that will help prevent leaks and damage around your fireplace. If you have used your chimney this year, contact a chimney cleaning service for help with maintenance to ensure it is safe and does not cause problems in your home.
