Chimney Inspections and Repairs
Annual chimney maintenance can help you to avoid unnecessary and unsightly costs. Ignoring your chimney can lead to lost heated air (imagine dollar bills being blown out of your chimney and into the cool, winter night sky), harmful smoke or gases being filtered into the home, or even a chimney fire. These annual maintenance check ups remove flammable creosote, the major cause of chimney fires, and identifies other performance impairments. Creosote, combustible droplets, is a natural byproduct of burning wood. The more wood you burn, the wetter the wood, and the more often you restrict airflow by keeping your fireplace doors closed or your damper barely open, the more creosote. Additionally, soot can hamper venting. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), soot is aggressively acidic and can damage the inside of your chimney. The more creosote and soot, the more likely the event of a chimney fire–and the increased likelihood of a house fire. CSIA recommends that you have your chimney inspected once a year to determine if it needs improvements. In particular, before the winter season. Get your chimney inspected today by the professionals at Becker’s. Call us at 302-463-8294, or send us a message by clicking here. Improve your Fireplace’s Efficiency:
- Get chimney cleaned twice a year if you burn more than three cords of wood annually.
- Have chimney cap installed to prevent objects, rain, and snow from falling into your chimney and reduce downdrafts.
- Replace a poorly-sealing damper to prevent heat loss.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors throughout your home–near fireplace and bedrooms.
- Burn only wood-dry wood!
- Close your damper when fireplace is not in use.
