There are a few areas of your home that probably don’t get the attention they should. One of these things is your chimney; though the chimney plays an integral role in keeping your home safe and healthy, it often isn’t given a second thought.
If you haven’t had your chimney professionally cleaned or inspected within the last year, consider hiring a chimney sweep. Professional chimney sweeps do more than just clear excess soot from your chimneys – here are just a few ways that they help protect your entire home from hazards and fire-related damages:
1. Poison Prevention
The main purpose of a chimney is to direct smoke and dangerous gases up and out of your house, but a clogged chimney can’t do its job right. A chimney that is too dirty can cause smoke and gas to back up into the house. Carbon monoxide is a gas that is produced by wood-burning fires; this gas is colorless, tasteless, and invisible, but extremely dangerous.
2. Fire Prevention
When chimneys aren’t properly cleaned, buildup of combustible materials like tar and flammable debris can occur. Many of the house fires that occur in the U.S. these days could be easily prevented by regularly chimney cleanings.
3. Structural Checkups
Even if you often clean your chimney on your own, there is a good reason to hire a professional chimney sweep for an inspection: a chimney sweep will spot structural damages in your chimney and fireplace that you may not notice or may not think is a big deal. A small crack in the chimney can cause costly repairs down the road, but if it’s spotted by your chimney sweep, you’ll save money by having it fixed before it becomes a real problem.
If you haven’t yet hired a professional chimney sweep to inspect your fireplace and chimney, it would be a good thing to put on your to-do list. If you’d like to learn more about chimney cleaning, fire safety, and repairs, contact us today.
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