Choose Prevention Over Repair

If you own a fireplace, then you must know that, like most things, regular maintenance is important in preventing repairs. As a homeowner, there are some easy preventative maintenance tasks that you can perform to help prolong the life of your fireplace.

Preventative maintenance

Leave the cleaning and sweeping to the professionals. With these simple tasks, you can feel comfortable that you have a safe burning fire. Preventative maintenance includes:

Maintaining the firebox

Keep an eye on the firebox. The inside gets extremely hot and can cause damage including cracks and loosening joints. A licensed chimney sweep will inspect the masonry for any cracks and repair them with refractory cement.

Damper

Is the damper operating appropriately? It should open and close easily. If rust, pitting, or cracks appear, it’s time to replace them.

The Flue

A thorough check would be done by a professional. However, using a flashlight, you can look up the chimney, checking for damage of any kind. If you see moisture or you have had a chimney fire, contact a professional.

Chimney flashing

The flashing should be secure. You can make minor repairs without completely replacing it.

Flue visualized from the top

*Do not access the roof if it is not safe. Contact a professional who has the equipment to access the top of the chimney.* If you can gain access safely, you can look down the chimney with a flashlight, and check to see that the flue is secure. Here you may even be able to see if there are twigs, leaves, or bird nests in the chimney.

Bricks and mortar

Look at the outside of your chimney. Watch for cracks, joints, and loose bricks. If cracks are seen, contact a professional for repairs. If cracks are left unrepaired, rainwater can enter and cause costly repairs.

Why Preventative Maintenance?

Two key reasons for regular preventative maintenance and repairs to your fireplace are as follows.

Money Savings

Repairs to your chimney can cost hundreds of dollars, and if unrepaired, can cost even more. If you don’t repair them when they are small, they can move into very expensive and lengthy repairs. The earlier you invest, the better off you will be. Contact a professional about waterproofing, chimney caps, and other cost-saving items to prevent costly repairs in the future.

Safety

Regular preventative cleaning and sweeping will keep creosote at a level that is safe. Excessive buildup can cause chimney fires, house fires, as well as exposure to carbon monoxide.

While regular maintenance and simple repairs are important in preventing costly repairs, nothing will replace a professional inspection by a licensed and insured chimney sweep.

Quality Chimney Service & Repair

Northeastern Chimney, Inc. established in 1984 is a fully licensed and insured chimney repair company. We provide chimney sweeping & video inspection. Chimney relining, masonry repair and restoration, waterproofing, crown and flashing repair, new chimney installations, stainless steel/ bluestone chimney tops, chimney caps, flue screening, dryer vent cleaning, and more.

Hopefully, you will learn about chimney safety and how to choose a sweep on our website and blog. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call us anytime from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Contact Northeastern Chimney, LLC by giving our team a call at 860-233-5770 or by sending us a message through our contact page.