Company Blog

Colder weather is in the forecast, but is your chimney and fireplace system ready for warm, cozy, and safe fires this winter? To be prepared for lighting the first fire in your fireplace this year, you need to schedule your annual professional chimney sweeping and inspection appointment with our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney sweeps at All Seasons Chimney. The CSIA, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and other national fire safety groups all recommend having this chimney maintenance done by qualified professionals before fireplace season gets started. Winter is just around the corner, and we are here to help you get your fireplace ready to go. We would like to tell you why it is so important to have your chimney professionally swept and inspected before winter.

Prevent chimney fires

When you burn wood in your fireplace, creosote is naturally produced during the combustion process and builds up in deposits on the inner walls of the chimney. The residue of smoke, vapors, gases, and other byproducts of combustion, creosote varies in color and texture. Whether it is black or brown, sticky and gummy, dry and flaky, or hard and shiny, creosote is very flammable. It is so hazardous that the CSIA has named it as a leading cause of chimney fires. If you have not had your chimney professionally swept since last winter, you could have a large amount of creosote accumulation inside your chimney. To get rid of this fire hazard, All Seasons Chimney can remove every bit of creosote from the interior chimney walls. We take great care in ensuring that your risk of a possibly devastating chimney fire is greatly reduced.

Avoid water deterioration

When All Seasons Chimney inspects your chimney, we look for any damaged and/or missing bricks and mortar joints on the exterior of your chimney structure. If the masonry materials are cracked and broken, water can penetrate into your home through the chimney. You can end up with stained ceilings and walls, rusted metal chimney components, and rotting wood. Even worse, the structure of your chimney could collapse as cold winter weather can cause even more deterioration of the bricks and mortar. Our CSIA-certified chimney experts will give you honest written estimates of the repair work needed to protect your chimney from water damage and deterioration during the winter. During the inspection, we will also look for other problems such as flue blockages and chimney liner damage that increase your risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. You can trust us to be sure your fireplace and chimney will be working efficiently and safely all winter long.

Be sure your fireplace is ready for winter. Contact us at All Seasons Chimney to schedule an appointment for our chimney sweeping and inspection services today.