Mark Twain was a phenomenal writer; his writings should serve as guiding principles for us all. One of my high school English teachers browbeat us with this little biased “tidbit of wisdom” (her words, not mine). My life since Mrs. Smith’s class has been shaped by this “factoid” (she loved that word). If Mark Twain said it, it must be true and, as such, should help us determine right from wrong. You’re probably wondering: Where is he going with this blast from the past? Patience is a virtue! I promise I’ll get there, so please stick with me.
Twain once quipped, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow.” As a business owner, I must say that I think a lot of people use this line of thinking in regards to their chimney maintenance routines. Mrs. Smith’s impact on her students must’ve been more far reaching than I ever realized! Waiting until later is a guilty please for some; however, it can have deleterious consequences for your chimney, your family, and your wallet.
As busy as life gets, it can be easy to forget about yearly chimney maintenance. But keeping up with annual inspections and sweepings is vital to preserving the life of your chimney and making sure it’s working as safely and efficiently as possible.
Stress levels are on the rise…
What exactly do people stand to gain from postponing something as straightforward and necessary as chimney maintenance? A little more fun in the sun before the cooler fall and winter months creep in? Perhaps. The freedom of doing what we want to do when we want to do it? Maybe so. But at what cost? A huge plus to having chimney maintenance carried out during the warmer summer months is the ability to choose the day and time that fits best into our schedules. The longer you put it off, however, the more limited your choices become; before long, you’re left with a take-it-or-leave-it appointment time (or at least that’s how it feels to customers who are yearning to use their fireplace at night but can’t). For many, the thought of not having any control over something as simple as an appointment time can be stressful. Our lives are stressful enough—why heap more onto it?
Postponing your already postponed chimney work…
A chimney professional’s job is already difficult enough without adding the hurdles that Mother Nature is capable of contributing into the equation. If you have a snowdrift all the way up the side of your chimney, or if the conditions on your roof aren’t conducive to making a sound repair to a diagnosed problem, your sweep won’t be able to complete the job and will, instead, have to return to complete the repair once conditions have improved. Depending on the severity of the problem, this could leave you scrambling to find an alternative way to heat your home at the most inopportune time. No one wants to deal with that either! This is just another reason you may want to consider scheduling your annual chimney maintenance during the warmer months. The peace of mind in knowing that you’ll be able to safely use your fireplace when the holiday season rolls around will go a long way. The holidays are already stressful enough—why throw any more logs on that fire?
I will admit that Mark Twain was a great writer, however, I would stop short of living my entire life by his words. Everyone suffers from procrastination at some point. I encourage you to do everything within your power to avoid it when it comes to chimney maintenance. There’s too much at stake to risk it. Take some time out of your busy schedule to call the certified professionals at Northeastern Masonry & Chimney today. We’ll get you scheduled and remove one more thing off or your overflowing to-do list. We look forward to serving you and your family for many years to come!