Come on a Tour of Your Chimney

Whether you're the owner of a home with gas heating, an oil furnace, a wood fireplace, a coal stove or a pellet stove, your home likely has a chimney for ventilation purposes. All of these chimney types need chimney inspections regularly, or else your home is exposed to a number of potential dangers. You may not be able to see problems with your chimney, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

To educate our customers, we've put together this guided chimney tour that takes a look at your chimney and explains its ventilation process, as well as where potential problems can show up if you don't have your chimney cleaned and inspected on a regular basis.

Preparing Your Fireplace for Winter

Soon enough, it will be time yet again to pack away the shorts and flip flops for the sweaters and snow boots. Yes, old man winter is coming back to town, and your fireplace should be ready for his arrival.

So, what should you do? You should have had in the spring or fall called for chimney cleaning services, to avoid damage your chimney during the season. Old soot and creosote needs to be cleaned annually.

Other things you should to prepare:

• Install a chimney cap to keep out birds and rodents from taking refuge in your chimney
• Begin to gather firewood and store it in a dry place. Or save money by purchasing a gas fireplace log
• Have the fireplace damper inspected to ensure it properly opens and closes
• Have the mortar and tuckpointing examined.

New Jersey fireplace experts Guardian Chimney can make sure you’re set for winter. Contact us today at www.GuardianChimney.com. 

Chimney Sweep Facts

We chimney sweeps have an interesting profession. We’re so interesting, in fact, that there are a number of interesting chimney sweep facts out there. Here are some of our favorites:

• It’s lucky to meet to a sweep by chance. If you make a wish when you see one, it will come true.
• Lucky is the bridge who sees a sweep on her wedding day.
• The patron saint of chimney sweeps is St. Florian.
• It’s good luck to kiss a sweep.
• When you see a sweep on top of a home, you’ll know that home has been blessed.

Need luck and a New Jersey chimney sweep? Contact Guardian Chimney today by visiting www.GuardianChimney.com.  

More Chimney Cleaning FAQ

I don’t use my chimney. Do I need to have it cleaned?

Yes. Birds and other pests could have taken home in your chimney.

Will a chimney cleaning leave dust all over my house?

A professional sweep should have a vacuum or other system designed for dust control. Your home should be in the same shape it was before the cleaner arrived.

What are the rust stains running down the side of my chimney?

You probably have a prefab fireplaces with a chase top (the metal covering) to block water from entering the chimney’s interior. Sun, rain and others take their effect on the chase top, and time wears the coating off. The metal then begins to rust and rain will carry it down the side, leaving stains. The best way to fix the issue is to replace the top with a new one, as many are now made with stainless steel, which resists rust.

What is a chimney liner?

It’s a stainless steel tube inserted to draft a furnace, woodstove or fireplace. With one, the heat would transfer through brick and mortar, causing the chimney to deteriorate.

What’s the difference between a Level I and Level II inspection?

A Level I Inspection is a visual inspection with basic digital photography, and is recommended for a chimney under continued service. A Level II inspection is required when any changes are made to the system or the property changes hands. It’s done with a closed-circuit video camera.

Guardian Chimney is a New York chimney cleaning company. Learn more about their services at www.ChimneySafetyAuthority.com. 

Chimney Cleaning FAQ

Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about our chimney cleaning services:

What is a chimney sweep?

A chimney sweep is a cleaner of ash, soot and other dirt from chimneys. The term dates back to the Industrial Age, when the number of homes with chimneys grew. In Great Britain, sweeps have become something of a good luck omen, with folklore having it that a bride who sees one on her wedding day is lucky.

What kind of qualifications or certifications do sweeps need to have?

Many states require successful completion of the certified chimney sweep examination from the Chimney Safety Institute of America. To continue education, a New York chimney sweep, New Jersey chimney sweep and ones in other states can take further instruction courses.

How often do I need chimney cleaning services?

It’s recommended by the National Fire Protection Agency that your chimney undergo a yearly inspection, with cleaning and repairs done as necessary. You should also have your wood stoves and/or fireplace inserts, if needed, inspected and cleaned every year. Open fireplaces need a consistent maintenance and cleaning, with experts recommending a cleaning every two to three for each cord of burnt.

Do I need to have my chimney cleaned if I heat with gas?

Yes. Gas is a clean burning fuel and won’t leave ask and soot, but your chimney might become non-functional from bird nets and other debris. Another problem is modern furnaces can cause issues, as most flues are intended to vent older furnaces.

What should I do if my fireplace smells?

The stench is most likely the result of creosote deposits, a natural woodburning byproduct. The summer humidity tends to make the smell worse. A good cleaning usually won’t completely solve the problem, and preferred solutions vary. Air being drawn down the chimney is the real problem, and a damper can help reduce air flow.

Should I have concerns about carbon monoxide poisoning?

The real danger about carbon monoxide is that it’s not easily detected. Your home should be outfitted with at least two carbon monoxide detectors, but these are not a substitute for routine maintenance. Carbon monoxide issues are almost always the result of poor ventilation, with block chimneys being one of the largest causes.

Need a New Jersey chimney sweep? Contact Guardian Chimney by visiting www.GuardianChimney.com. 

Use the Summer to Prep Your Chimney for the Fall

Summer is the best time for chimney repairs and other maintenance. This will have your system prepared for the fall and winter, when you use it most. Here are services to ask your chimney sweep about: 

• Chimney Cleaning
  You should have your chimney cleaned once a year, at bare minimum. Doing so will help prevent fires and other hazards.
• Chimney Relining
  A chimney liner protects the masonry walls from heat, potential damage and corrosion. Stainless steel and aluminum liners help best protect your chimney.  
• Mason Repairs
  Be sure to have your sweep take a look at the pointing, chimney crown and smoke chamber. All these materials can over time deteriorate because of moisture.
• Gas Logs
  Gas logs turn on and off when you want. Once installed, they are permanent, saving you the expense of wood.

Guardian Chimney serves New York and New Jersey with all these services and more. See what we can do for you by visiting www.GuardianChimney.com.

Have Your Chimney Cleaned This Spring & Summer by Guardian Chimney

Your chimney becomes neglected during the warm months. A cozy fire is not needed as much, so we often put the chimney to the back of our mind, and only worry about it when fall arrives.

However, especially in cases where there is no chimney cap, your chimney can become filled with debris, like leaves and animal nests, or suffer water damage from rain entering the chimney flue.

Don’t let this happen. Just because it’s warm inside doesn’t mean your chimney is invulnerable. Contact Guardian Chimney, the New York and New Jersey chimney experts, today at 1.888.688.1388 or visit www.GuardianChimney.com to set up a time for a chimney cleaning or to have a chimney cap installed.

Guardian Chimney Can Prevent Pests from Entering Your Chimney

Spring has sprung. The air is warm, the snow is gone and your chimney is being used less by you. It’s being used, however, by others for a different purpose.

The warmer seasons provide a perfect opportunity for pests – birds, squirrels, raccoons, etc. – to take refuge in your chimney. At Guardian Chimney, the chimney cleaning and masonry repair experts for New York and New Jersey, these are the pests whose nests we encounter most often (note: Guardian Chimney does not offer pest removal service. You should contact an animal control expert to have the birds or rodents removed):

·        Chimney Swift – Chimney swifts are grey birds that breed May through July. Their chosen habitat is open structures, like open chimneys. Chimney swifts are a near threatened bird species, and therefore are protected by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. What this means is that if chimney swifts have taken residence in your chimney, they can only be removed with proper permits.

·        Squirrels – These rodents are amazing climbers and can crawl into anything, especially open chimneys. Once down inside the chimney flue, squirrels make shelter and nests inside your chimney.

·        Rats – If you’re hearing scraping sounds from inside your chimney, then you might have a rat problem. Like squirrels, rats will make your chimney their home, building a nest and raising their rat families in your masonry’s secure confines.

·        Raccoons – For squirrels and raccoons, a chimney is no different than a big hollow tree. Raccoons love chimneys because they are safe and dry, a perfect living environment. Once they’ve established a nest, they will likely begin to have a litter.

·        Bats – Hearing twittering and rustling from inside the masonry, especially at night? Then you might have a bat problem. Bats love to take shelter in chimneys, especially those that have pulled away from the house. An easy way to tell if these creatures of the night have entered your chimney is to see if there is subtle dark staining around openings. These marks are caused by oils in the bats’ fur.

How do you prevent pests from entering your chimney? The best way is a custom-made chimney cap from Guardian Chimney. Our stainless steel, galvanized or copper tops will not only prevent rodents and other pests from entering your chimney, but it also will reduce the amount of leaves and other debris that can enter the chimney’s top.

Call Guardian Chimney today at 1.888.688.1388 or visit www.GuardianChimney.com today to learn how chimney caps can prevent a total obstruction of your chimney. You can also contact us today to schedule a chimney cleaning if you’ve recently eradicated your pest problem.