Getting ready to start on your spring home maintenance chores? We hope you won’t forget your chimney!
Spring Cleaning Isn’t Just For Closets
It’s understandable that a lot of us don’t start thinking about our annual chimney sweeping appointment until the weather starts to cool down again, and we’re getting ready to warm up by the fire on those chilly nights. But there are a lot of benefits that come with making chimney sweeping part of your spring home maintenance checklist.
Let us share a few:
You’ll Have A Fresher-smelling Home All Summer!
If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, one thing is unavoidable: Creosote deposits will develop in your flue. It’s a natural part of the combustion that occurs in your appliance — hot air, stocked with particles and other byproducts, rises up from your fire, meets the cooler walls of your flue and condenses into liquid. That liquid develops into creosote, and every time you have a fire, more creosote is deposited. So if you used your fireplace or stove all winter, you have some creosote in your flue — and among creosote’s many unique properties is a strong, musty and dirty smell.
When heat and humidity rise in the warm months, creosote odor gets more pronounced — which is why you may notice (and feel confused by) a smoky smell in your living area in the summer, despite the fact that you haven’t had a fire in months.
Scheduling your chimney sweeping appointment with Fluesbrothers Chimney Sweep before you put your fireplace into hibernation for the spring and summer means you’ll have a clean flue when the heat waves hit. That clean flue means you’ll have cleaner, more pleasant indoor air, too.
You’ll Beat The Heating Season Rush
Most home and business owners with fireplaces, stoves or inserts will make their annual maintenance appointments at the beginning of the heating season, just as they’re wanting to use the system. That means Fluesbrothers technicians always get a rush as the weather cools down, and our schedule gets a lot busier. A busy schedule means less flexibility for appointment booking and a less immediate turnaround time for appointments — our talented, CSIA-certified techs work hard and diligently, but a rush means we have a lot more to juggle.
If you opt to get your maintenance done in the spring, you’ll already be ready when the heating season starts. And when you’re scheduling, you’ll have more options, and quicker appointments.
We Can Find Potential Leaks Before Those April Showers Start
If there’s damage somewhere in your system that’s allowing moisture intrusion, heavy spring rains will most likely bring some headaches. While Flues Brothers technicians are always here to help our clients deal with water damage that results from a chimney leak, the best case scenario is always to catch damage as soon as possible, before precipitation gets a chance to turn a small problem into a big one.
During a Fluesbrothers chimney sweeping visit, our technicians will always inspect the system for any hidden issues, from blockages that might impede your draft to flue liner cracks or gaps, chimney flashing damage or a spalling chimney crown that might be allowing rain to get into your system. If we find any problems, we can thoroughly diagnose the issue, propose the proper repairs and complete them, so that your chimney stays dry through the spring and is ready for steady use again in the fall.
If you have any questions about the best ways to prepare your chimney system for slumber in the spring, Fluesbrothers is always here to help. Just give us a call!
