What happens if you don’t clean your chimney?

Jul 24, 2020Chimney

Having a fireplace can be one of life’s simple pleasures. Who doesn’t like sitting next to the open fire with friends and family? Along with having a fireplace, however, comes the matter of paying attention to your chimney’s cleanliness and safety. If you have ever found yourself wondering why and how you need chimney cleaning company, then this blog is for you.

 

Why is chimney cleaning important?

Most homeowners in Plano, TX, tend to forget that they have a chimney to clean and maintain. This can be dangerous. An unattended chimney can gather a lot of ash and tar, which may eventually find its way back to your house. This mixture of ash and tar may cause severe breathing problems for you and your family.

Did you also know that the leading cause of house fires that have fireplaces in them is a chimney fire? Far too many people die needlessly every year because of a fire that started in a dirty chimney. When your chimney is not cleaned for a long time, a substance called creosote keeps building up in the flue during the use of the fireplace. This creosote is highly flammable and can lead to a dangerous chimney fire (an uncontrolled 2000 degree fire burning inside the chimney). First, your chimney may catch fire, and then the fire will immediately spread to different parts of your home.

Now that you know why chimney cleaning is important, contact a certified Plano chimney cleaning company for a better working chimney and increased safety for your family and home.

No.1 Best Chimney Cleaning Company - Elegant Fireside and Patio

What does chimney cleaning entail?

Chimney cleaning or sweeping is basically taking a brush and sweeping the sides of your chimney from the top all the way down to the bottom. A chimney sweep will break off materials that have built up on the sides of your chimney. When wood burns, it gives off various products during the burning process. These by-products create the black soot you see on the inside of your chimney. This layer of soot is extremely flammable and has to be cleaned out.

You can hire professional chimney cleaning company in Plano, TX, to get your chimney squeaky-clean or ‘Do it yourself.’

 

Doing it yourself? Keep these things in mind.

If you decide to clean your chimney by yourself, you should know that there are risks involved. You will be climbing ladders, going on steep roofs, and trying to work through tall chimneys. This job isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure.

To do the job more efficiently and safely, you are going to need a few tools. These tools are simple to use and do not need any training for their use. The most common tools for chimney cleaning are a flat wire bristle brush and rod (to clean the chimney flue from debris), a vacuum cleaner (to clean the ash and dust from the chimney), safety goggles and safety mask.

Goggles and the safety mask do not have anything to do with the cleaning. They are, in fact, essential for your safety. The soot and other dust particles can harm you if it goes into your eyes. For similar reasons, you need a dust mask. Always make sure to keep safety as your priority while doing any kind of maintenance work.

 

Other considerations

Firstly, it is important to have a semi-cover at the top of the chimney; this prevents any external debris from falling into the house. One other thing that should be considered while cleaning your chimney is to ensure that the airflow is uninterrupted and unidirectional. If proper maintenance of the chimney is not done properly, there might be a reverse airflow that can fill your room with smoke. You may also want to cover all furniture in the area for debris and soot may cause damage.

 

Why chimney experts?

You should have proper and enough knowledge about chimney cleaning before doing the job. If not, we strongly suggest that you leave it to a professional chimney service provider because chimney cleaning is a tough and dangerous job. Professionals have extensive knowledge of chimneys. They know the types of chimneys and everything that goes in and out of them.

Aside from knowledge, they also have the skills to carry on perilous chores like dealing with steep roofs and long ladders while doing a brick chimney repair. They have proper tools and equipment like chimney brush, vacuum cleaner, flashlight, rope, tape, broom, and others. These professionals do have a broad experience when it comes to chimney cleaning and repairs. With that, they are less prone to making mistakes, meaning less worries for you. Plus, it is not overly expensive to have chimney cleaning done by professionals.

Chimney experts are not difficult to find. Ask your neighbors for recommendations or search on the web to find experts in chimney repair and cleaning. Sweepers have their own ways or methods of cleanup, but at the beginning of the job, they all study the details regarding your chimney. Inspection is very important in the process of chimney cleaning. Some professionals even take photos of your chimney to be able to identify repairs and possible problems.

They also give you the cleaning or repair costs as early as this stage. Next, they will protect your property from getting damaged by soot and debris. They do this by covering your fireplace interior by plastic to be able to contain the soot. Then they use the brushes and scrapers to clean the inside of the chimney. After that, the vacuum will be used to clear whatever soot is left.

 

Professional Chimney Cleaning Company In Plano, TX

If you are ready to have your chimney cleaned, get in touch with Elegant Fireside and Patio today. We have a team of qualified and dedicated technicians who can help you with chimney inspection and cleaning. Let us put our three decades of experience to work for you.

To learn more about our professional chimney cleaning company in Plano, Texas, you can visit our social media or call us at (972) 846-4878.

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