Prepping for the winter season is an imperative step of home safety. Whether you’re buttoning up the last chimney repair or scheduling your annual chimney cleaning, there are a few things that you should never overlook.
Here, the experts at Seacoast Chimney discuss a few steps in winter maintenance and preparations to help you avoid future repair needs!
Chimney Cleaning
One of the basic maintenance requirements of any wood burning fireplace is keeping it clean. While professional cleaning is recommended on an annual basis, keeping up in between is easy and provides many benefits. For example, removing ash piles after every couple of uses keeps the airflow moving.
Without the proper airflow, your fireplace will not burn as hot. When this happens, the fire will produce more creosote. If you’re not familiar with creosote and the potential health risks it presents, check out this article from the Environmental Protection Agency that goes into detail about the key components of creosote.
Seasoned Firewood First
Seasoned firewood, simply stated, is firewood that has been properly prepared and dried. Be sure to check out our blog on firewood stacking to ensure your winter stash is burn ready! Remember, the wetter the wood, the more smoke that will be produced. This is clearly an undesirable event for several reasons when it comes to burning firewood inside of the house.
Repair Existing Damage
You may not use your chimney on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be damage! You may have damage to your chimney or flue liner, which can develop over time due to moisture seeping through exterior damage of the chimney. This can cause cracking along masonry and flue tiles. Once found, moisture damage should be repaired immediately to cut down on the extent of deterioration.
Do you need chimney repair or maintenance?
Chimney maintenance is one the best things you can do to ensure a safe wood burning season. However, keeping up with chimney repair needs is equally important. At Seacoast Chimney, we offer superior service to provide residential and commercial property owners with peace of mind. For more information or to schedule your service, please contact our team by calling 800-354-2751,
