With the winter season comes a desire to light your fireplace, get comfortable, and enjoy the evening. After you have enjoyed your fireplace, however, there are some steps you will want to take to get it ready for another year of use. Between pests, soot, and other factors, there are many factors to consider. Continue reading to learn how to get your chimney and fireplace ready for a new year.
Fireplace Cleaning
One of the most important steps you can take to get your chimney and fireplace ready for a new year is to clean out your fireplace. After a season of burning, fireplaces get filled with ashes, debris, and soot. Not only is this unsightly to an otherwise beautiful fireplace, but it can actually present some risks. Excess buildup can cause fires, potentially setting your whole home ablaze if the conditions are right for it. In addition, removing all of the ash and debris from your fireplace is necessary to improve airflow, thus improving the
One of the most important steps you can take to get your chimney and fireplace ready for a new year is to clean out your fireplace. After a season of burning, fireplaces get filled with ashes, debris, and soot. Not only is this unsightly to an otherwise beautiful fireplace, but it can actually present some risks. Excess buildup can cause fires, potentially setting your whole home ablaze if the conditions are right for it. In addition, removing all of the ash and debris from your fireplace is necessary to improve airflow, thus improving the
quality of the fire you are able to get and keep alight. A more efficient fire will save you more money on your energy bill, as more heat coming out of your fireplace is less natural gas, propane, or electricity your furnace will have to use.
Cleaning out the ashes and debris is very simple. All it requires is some buckets, some brushes, a small shovel, and manpower. Simply scoop up the ash, throw it in the bucket, and remove it. Cleaning up the creosote requires more effort, and more often than not, people opt to have a professional chimney company perform the service while the company does the whole chimney sweep process. Cleaning up the creosote in your fireplace is more manageable, as you do not have to clean the chimney itself. To clean up creosote, you will brush the layers off, vacuuming it out at the same time.
Chimney Sweep
Performing a full chimney sweep as a homeowner can be a daunting task, and that is generally why it is left to the professionals. Chimney sweeps require long brushes that are used to sweep the highly flammable creosote out of the chimney, thereby preventing your chimney from catching on fire. If you decide to go the DIY route, be sure to seal up your fireplace so your home isn’t contaminated with the creosote dust. If, like most people, you would like to hire a professional chimney sweep company, reach out to professionals at chimneykings.com. Hiring a professional chimney sweep company is a great idea, because they can fix and seal any gaps or cracks they find in your chimney as well!
Remove Wildlife
Chimneys provide one of the most excellent refuges for a variety of nuisance wildlife, as they are out of the wind, are a great shelter to protect young, and can provide access to warmth. While chimneys provide an excellent shelter for animals, their presence in your chimney can create potentially dangerous situations for you and your family.
The most common nuisance animals that make their way into your chimney are squirrels. Squirrels love to make nests in chimneys, as they provide a great, safe place to raise their young. The real danger lies in the fact that squirrels build nests out of flammable materials. If you light a fire, and an inhabited or uninhabited squirrel nest is in your chimney, it can catch fire and potentially catch your home on fire. In addition, squirrels often die in chimneys, creating another potential fire hazard, as well as the potential for nasty odors. Visit wildlifepest.org to learn about squirrels that might reside in your chimney.
Other than squirrels, the two other common animals that make homes in chimneys are bats and birds. Birds present the exact same problem as squirrels, in that they build their nests out of flammable materials. These nests catch fire easily and could start a fire that consumes your home. Bats, on the other hand, can also die and catch fire the next time you use your fireplace. Beyond this, bats and birds are hazardous to remain living so close to you and your family, as they carry dozens of potentially deadly diseases.
In order to get rid of these animals, it is highly advised that you hire a professional wildlife removal company like Frank’s Wildlife Removal. These companies have tons of experience in dealing with all nuisance animals, and they are able to effectively remove all of the critters in a way that keeps you, your family, and your pets safe and healthy.
Cleaning out the ashes and debris is very simple. All it requires is some buckets, some brushes, a small shovel, and manpower. Simply scoop up the ash, throw it in the bucket, and remove it. Cleaning up the creosote requires more effort, and more often than not, people opt to have a professional chimney company perform the service while the company does the whole chimney sweep process. Cleaning up the creosote in your fireplace is more manageable, as you do not have to clean the chimney itself. To clean up creosote, you will brush the layers off, vacuuming it out at the same time.
Chimney Sweep
Performing a full chimney sweep as a homeowner can be a daunting task, and that is generally why it is left to the professionals. Chimney sweeps require long brushes that are used to sweep the highly flammable creosote out of the chimney, thereby preventing your chimney from catching on fire. If you decide to go the DIY route, be sure to seal up your fireplace so your home isn’t contaminated with the creosote dust. If, like most people, you would like to hire a professional chimney sweep company, reach out to professionals at chimneykings.com. Hiring a professional chimney sweep company is a great idea, because they can fix and seal any gaps or cracks they find in your chimney as well!
Remove Wildlife
Chimneys provide one of the most excellent refuges for a variety of nuisance wildlife, as they are out of the wind, are a great shelter to protect young, and can provide access to warmth. While chimneys provide an excellent shelter for animals, their presence in your chimney can create potentially dangerous situations for you and your family.
The most common nuisance animals that make their way into your chimney are squirrels. Squirrels love to make nests in chimneys, as they provide a great, safe place to raise their young. The real danger lies in the fact that squirrels build nests out of flammable materials. If you light a fire, and an inhabited or uninhabited squirrel nest is in your chimney, it can catch fire and potentially catch your home on fire. In addition, squirrels often die in chimneys, creating another potential fire hazard, as well as the potential for nasty odors. Visit wildlifepest.org to learn about squirrels that might reside in your chimney.
Other than squirrels, the two other common animals that make homes in chimneys are bats and birds. Birds present the exact same problem as squirrels, in that they build their nests out of flammable materials. These nests catch fire easily and could start a fire that consumes your home. Bats, on the other hand, can also die and catch fire the next time you use your fireplace. Beyond this, bats and birds are hazardous to remain living so close to you and your family, as they carry dozens of potentially deadly diseases.
In order to get rid of these animals, it is highly advised that you hire a professional wildlife removal company like Frank’s Wildlife Removal. These companies have tons of experience in dealing with all nuisance animals, and they are able to effectively remove all of the critters in a way that keeps you, your family, and your pets safe and healthy.
